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.
Spanaway is a census-designated place (CDP) in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 21,588 at the 2000 census. Spanaway is an unincorporated suburb of Tacoma, and is often identified together with the more urban, less wealthy Parkland. In 1890 the area was originally named "Lake Park" as a planned community by the Lake Park Land, Railway and Improvement Company which bought all the nearby land east of the lake. The development company built a rail line that ended at what is now 162nd and Park Avenue. Tourists would take the train, a run of about ten miles (ten miles being one "span", in rail slang) from Tacoma, while traveling to Mount Rainier. By the founding of Mount Rainier National Park in 1899, the tourist reference that the last train depot was a "span away" from Tacoma, stuck as the name of the area. Alternate etymologies include one from Hudson's Bay Company records that refer to a place known to the Nisqually tribe as "Spanuch"/"Spanueh" in 1849, but it is unclear where that actually referred to. The Hudson's Bay Company did have sheep ranches in this area in the 1840s. Another alternative etymology, published by the Tacoma News Tribune in 1956 (July 15 edition) claimed that "yawanaps" was a "local Indian word" meaning "beautiful waters. " Spanaway Lake was originally named Bushalier Lake after Henry de la Bushalier, who owned all the property to the north of the lake. The song "The Needle Has Landed" from Neko Case's CD Fox Confessor Brings the Flood mentions Spanaway in passing. Tacoma alternative pop/rock band Seaweed also released an album entitled Spanaway. Long Island, NY band The Movielife also has a song called "Spanaway".