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.
Chimacum is an unincorporated community in eastern Jefferson County, Washington, United States. It lies on the Olympic Peninsula at coordinates 48°0′42″N 122°46′10″W / 48.01167°N 122.76944°W / 48.01167; -122.76944. It was named after the Chemakum group of Native Americans that lived there until the late 19th century. Chimacum is the home of Chimacum Schools' main campus, which serves the unincorporated communities of East Jefferson County to the south of Port Townsend and north of Quilcene, including Chimacum itself, Port Hadlock, Irondale, Marrowstone Island, Oak Bay, Paradise Bay, Port Ludlow, and Shine. Probably at least in part due to the (arguably declining) prevalence of dairy and cattle farming in the Chimacum area, Chimacum High School's sports teams are the Cowboys. The Chimacum valley remains an agricultural area with many small farms and a farmers' market. The area is also served by local branch of The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry that celebrated its 90th anniversary in April 2008. Chimacum is part of the so-called "tri-area" of Chimacum, Port Hadlock and Irondale, in central-east Jefferson County. Betty MacDonald's The Egg and I, the book upon which the Ma and Pa Kettle films were based, described the author's experiences on a chicken farm near Chimacum. Linda Perhacs's 1970 album Parallelograms contains the poignant "Chimacum rain", a song inspired by Chimacum's natural beauty.