Civil law, as opposed to criminal law, is the branch of law dealing with disputes between individuals and/or organizations, in which compensation may be awarded to the victim. For instance, if a car crash victim claims damages against the driver for loss or injury sustained in an accident, this will be a civil law case. Civil law courts provide a forum for deciding disputes involving torts (such as accidents, negligence, and libel), contract disputes, the probate of wills, trusts, property disputes, administrative law, commercial law, and any other private matters that involve private parties or organizations including government departments. The objectives of civil law are different from other types of law. In civil law there is the attempt to right a wrong, honor an agreement, or settle a dispute. If there is a victim, they get compensation, and the person who is the cause of the wrong pays, this being a civilized form of, or legal alternative to, revenge.
Cedarville (formerly, Surprise Valley and Deep Creek) is an unincorporated community in Modoc County, California. It is located 20 miles (32 km) east of Alturas, at an elevation of 4652 feet (1418 m). Originally known as Deep Creek, Cedarville was founded in about 1864 as a stopping place for wagon trains. In 1867 a trading post was being run by William Cressler and John Bonner, who later also built the first road over Cedar Pass, connecting Surprise Valley to Alturas and the rest of Modoc County. By 1880 the town was the largest in the valley, with a population of around 220. The town has grown little in the following hundred years; however, as of the 2000 census, Cedarville had an estimated total population of 849 (see below). The inventor of aerogel, Steven Kistler, was born in the town in 1900. The ZIP code for Cedarville is 96104. Wired telephone numbers in Cedarville follow the format 279-2xxx or 279-6xxx. Wired telephone service is provided by Frontier Communications. Cedarville Hospital, operated by the Surprise Valley Hospital District, is located on Main Street at Washington. Cedarville Airport is located along Surprise Valley Road 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of State Route 299. The town hosts an annual Last Frontier Fair. Tourist services, such as bed and breakfast accommodations, are available in the community. An area attraction is the Warner Mountains, most of which are inside Modoc National Forest. Surprise Valley offers hiking, fishing, birding, skiing, hunting, petroglyphs, photography, pioneer history and scenery.