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.
Sprankle Mills is a small unincorporated rural community in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located between the boroughs of Punxsutawney and Brookville. Sprankle Mills was founded in 1833 by Frederick Sprankle who owned a mill in the middle of town. Primarily a farming community this town, in the mid to late 1800s, had two general stores, a post office and a one room school house. The post office, which was located in one of the general stores, was a working post office until the late 1980s. While the one-room school house is still standing it is primarily used as a gathering place for residents during occasions such as the first day of fishing season and on voting days. The last class of students to use the building as a school was in 1962. This small farming community consisted of German settlers. Some of the original residents have ancestors occupying the original homesteads. Some of these names include: Raybuck, Mottern, and Mauk.