What is the difference between a criminal and civil drunk driving case?

In California, drunk driving is a serious offense with legal consequences. There are two types of drunk driving cases: criminal cases and civil cases. A criminal drunk driving case is an accusation by the state of California that an individual has violated the law. In this case, the accused must go to court and if found guilty, may face fines, possible imprisonment and loss of their driver’s license. A criminal drunk driving case will also be entered on the offender’s criminal record. A civil drunk driving case, on the other hand, is when an individual is suing another party for damages caused due to a drunk driving accident. This type of case does not involve any criminal charges and instead involves seeking compensation for physical and psychological injuries. A civil drunk driving case must be taken to civil court and a jury will decide if the accused should be held financially accountable for the damages that were caused. To sum up, the main difference between a criminal and civil drunk driving case is that a criminal case is brought by the government against an individual, while a civil case is brought by an individual against another individual or party. Additionally, the punishments for criminal and civil drunk driving cases are very different. Criminal cases involve fines, jail time, and license suspension while civil cases involve financial compensation.

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What is the difference between a criminal and civil drunk driving case?

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