Civil Litigation
There are two types of cases—criminal and civil. A federal judge may one day conduct a complex civil trial and the next day preside over a routine federal criminal case. There is no distinct demarcation between civil court and criminal court within the federal court system. However, there may be a clear demarcation between the two in some states. There may be a specific court that is known as the criminal court, wherein only criminal cases are heard. The important thing to keep in mind is that the civil system is entirely separate and distinct from the criminal system. Indeed, the rules that apply to one in many instances have no application whatsoever to the other.
