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.
Mankato is a city in Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Le Sueur counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 32,427 at the 2000 census. In 2008, the estimated population was 36,245 making it the fourth largest city outside of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. It is the county seat of Blue Earth County, and is located along a large bend of the Minnesota River at its confluence with the Blue Earth River. Mankato is located in Blue Earth County and neighbored by its sister city across the Minnesota River, North Mankato, and completely encompasses the town of Skyline. North of Mankato Regional Airport, a tiny non-contiguous part of the city also lies within Le Sueur County. Mankato is the larger of the two principal cities of the Mankato-North Mankato metropolitan area, which covers Blue Earth and Nicollet counties and had a combined population of 85,712 at the 2000 census. Mankato was designated a Metropolitan Statistical Area by the U.S. Census Bureau in November 2008. U.S. Routes 14 and 169 and Minnesota State Highways 22, and 60 are four of the main arterial routes in the city.