It is less costly to settle a case before it goes to trial. Also, trials are mostly unpredictable so a settlement may be in the best interest of the parties. On the other hand there are cases where the outcome is so predictable that the parties settle.
yes
Good question. 90% of all civil cases are settled without a trial.
Yes. That way you will most likely receive a less severe punishment.
A civil trial.
No. Criminal offenses only - EXCEPT - in California, state law empowers CIVIL Grand juries at the county level to look into and investigate governmental matters that are brought to their attention.
Even if the case settled prior to trial - if the case was filed with The Clerk of The Court and it appeared on the court's docket, then there would be a publicly available record of it in the Court Clerk's Office. You would have to know where, and in what court system, the case was filed in order to locate the records of the proceedings and learn what the final dispostion was.
Amendment Seven-Jury trial in civil cases
The right to trial by jury is guaranteed in all criminal cases and civil cases over a certain dollar amount.
The 17th amendment codifies the right to a jury trial in civil cases. It guarantees a minimum of six members for a jury in a civil trial.
The "Plaintiff" brings a civil suit by filing a complaint, hence the word plaintiff or sometimes "complainant."
The answer to that depends on the type of crime, the state you are in, and the defendants ability to cooperate. That being said, the number of criminal cases that actually go to trial is quite low. This is because many cases are settled with plea bargains before ever making it to trail. A trial is a very costly and long undertaking so it is much easier to avoid it when possible.
In the United States, the criminal trial comes first, then comes the civil trial. (In some states, such as North Carolina, civil penalties can be accessed at the criminal trial.)
A criminal jury hears a criminal trial. A civil jury hears a civil trial. Usually both are taken from the same pool and contain the same number of members, but this may vary by jurisdiction.