BUS 311 LAW

Student's Name

Course

Instructor

Date

This table summarizes some of the basic differences between crimes and torts, or between criminal law and tort law. We'll elaborate on most of these differences in class.

Crimes

Torts

immediate purpose

punishment of criminal

compensation of victim

balance of defendant's wrong and victim's injury

emphasis on df's moral wrong, not victim's injury

emphasis on victim's injury, not df's moral wrong

theory of offense

offense to all society; public interest

only victim injured; private interest only

initiating party

the state, "the people", represented by prosecutor

the victim, plaintiff

verb/noun

try/trial, or prosecute/prosecution

sue/suit

defendant's right to a jury trial

yes (6th Amendment)

only sometimes (7th...