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Civil Cases - Return to Table of Contents Civil cases are those in which individuals, corporations or government agencies seek to recover damages, enforce their rights or otherwise protect a legal interest from interference by another. Essentially, the civil law enables people to assert or defend their rights in an orderly, nonviolent manner and enables them to resolve legal disputes in a fashion which society finds acceptable. As might be imagined, civil cases encompass a …

…or remand the case to the lower court for appropriate action consistent with the opinion of the appellate court, including retrial of the case where warranted. Appeals are not limited to challenging the outcome of a trial. Errors of law committed in other situations may also be appealed. For example, a defendant in a criminal case may appeal an illegal or excessive sentence imposed after a guilty plea, which eliminated the need for a trial.