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.
Seymour is a city in Webster County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,834 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area. The City of Seymour has an alderman/mayor government structure. The current mayor of Seymour is Jerry Miller. The current Chief of Police is Mike Ross. Seymour has two grocery stores, three gas stations, two banks, a YMCA, one high school, two elementary schools and one middle school, a modern public library, and a town museum is in the works. Seymour has an active Lions Club, Arts Council and a Masonic Lodge. Seymour has an award-winning weekly newspaper whose office is located on the west side of the town square; the Webster County Citizen has won more than 240 national and state awards for journalism excellence since 1998. The newspaper's editor and publisher is Dan Wehmer, who came to the community in 1996. The Seymour Merchants Association holds an annual Apple Festival the second weekend of every September. Crowds of up to 30,000 people descend on the town to buy handmade crafts and listen to live gospel and country music. There is still an apple orchard in Seymour. Outside of Seymour is a large Old Order [Amish] Community. The local McDonald’s, Bank, Post Office Price Cutter, and Seymour Discount Grocery and several other businesses have hitching post for Amish Buggies. The Town has three murals painted on building sides on the square, one depicts rolling hills of the surrounding Ozarks, and another depicts the former train depot in 1881.