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.
Seiad Valley is a small unincorporated town in Siskiyou County, California situated 15 miles south of the Oregon border. A population of approximately 300 people is clustered around the Klamath River, State Route 96 and spread out along the surrounding creeks. The three craggy peaks of the Lower Devil's look over the forested valley, which is completely surrounded on all sides by the green Klamath Mountains, just north of the Marble Mountains Wilderness area. The Pacific Crest Trail, which runs all the way from Canada to Mexico, passes through the West Side of Seiad Valley. A general store/cafe/post office, a forest service station, an elementary school, a small trailer park, and the former Wildwood restaurant/inn make up central portion of the town; beyond that are small agricultural/herding fields, a scattering of residences, and the bridges crossing the Klamath River. Seiad Valley is within zip code 96086, but itself is not incorporated and so has no strictly defined boundaries.