Civil litigation involves disputes between parties — usually over money, contracts, or rights — where the plaintiff seeks compensation or an injunction rather than imprisonment. Criminal litigation involves the government prosecuting an individual or entity for conduct defined as a crime, with potential penalties including fines or incarceration. The two systems have different standards of proof: criminal cases require proof beyond a reasonable doubt, while civil cases use a preponderance of the evidence standard. The same underlying conduct can produce both civil and criminal proceedings simultaneously, which creates complicated legal dynamics — including concerns about whether a criminal probe might be used to obtain evidence that is unavailable or restricted in a parallel civil case.