A criminal case can only be brought by the government or state. On the other hand, civil cases are brought in the name of individuals, not in the name of the state. In a criminal case, the prosecutor makes a case against the person accused of a crime, seeking prison time or another punishment. A civil case can be filed by anyone whose private rights or civil rights have allegedly been violated by another party. When a private party files a civil lawsuit for wrongful death, the party is seeking monetary damages, compensation for the loss suffered. A civil trial for wrongful death, therefore, is very different from a criminal trial for murder or manslaughter. Civil lawsuits for wrongful death are tried for money damages to balance the harms, not to put the defendant in prison. The burden of proof in criminal and civil cases is different. The prosecutor in a criminal case must meet a higher standard of proof than in a civil case. In criminal cases, the standard is “proof beyond a reasonable doubt.” In civil cases, the standard of proof is “by a preponderance of the evidence,” which essentially means “more likely than not,” or put another way, proof by 51% or more.