Which statement best distinguishes criminal law from civil law?

• A. Criminal law addresses wrongs against private parties.
• B. Criminal law addresses wrongs against the sovereign (public wrongs), while civil law addresses wrongs against private parties (private wrongs).
• C. Criminal law concerns only felonies.
• D. Civil law uses juries in all cases.

Answer: (B)

The distinction hinges on who is harmed and who prosecutes. Criminal law treats offenses as harms to society as a whole, so the state (the sovereign) prosecutes individuals accused of crimes and seeks punishment or deterrence. Civil law, by contrast, involves disputes between private parties over rights and duties, with the harmed private party seeking remedies like damages or injunctions. This is exactly what the statement conveys: criminal law concerns public wrongs against the sovereign, while civil law concerns private wrongs between individuals or organizations. The other options mix up who is harmed, the scope of criminal law, or how civil cases are decided—criminal law isn’t limited to felonies, and civil cases aren’t automatically decided by juries in every instance.