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.
Casnovia is a village in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the boundary between Muskegon County and Kent County and lies partially within both. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 315. The village is located partially within the Casnovia Township, Michigan. Casnovia is believed to be the only place on Earth with that name, now or at any time in the past. The name is a distortion of the settlement's original name, Casanova Town, founded by Jedediah Craw in 1852. Craw was a Mormon with four wives, all teenagers at the time of his arrival in the area. The name Casanova Town was most likely bestowed on Craw's compound by neighbors, as a reference to his polygamous lifestyle. The settlement grew along what is now Ball Creek, and took the name Casnovia in 1861.