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.
Colfax is a small unincorporated community located in Guilford County, North Carolina. As of the 2000 census, the CDP had a population of 2,469. Colfax is located at (36.11, -80.01). The community is a suburb of Greensboro and is located in the center of the Piedmont Triad. Its main attraction is the Piedmont Triad Farmers Market, where people shop for fresh food from local farmers. Its main school is the Colfax Elementary School, which is part of the Guilford County School System. It is also the location of one of fifteen Piano and Organ Distributors, one of the largest piano sellers in the country. In 2000, the community attempted to incorporate, but failed after a joint commission found that the proposed limits were not sufficient for incorporation under North Carolina law, lacking under the population density requirement. On June 30, 2008 the city of Greensboro annexed the main part of Colfax into the city limits, though some of Colfax is still unincorporated.