QUESTION
Can you get jail time from being sued in a civil lawsuit for assault and battery?
Asked on Aug 25th, 2011 on Civil Litigation - California
More details to this question:
I don''t fully understand "civil lawsuit". My friend and I got in a small shoving/wrestling fight because he refused to pay rent and wouldn''t move out of my house. He called the cops on me. After the cops came and questioned us, they didn''t find any reason to take either of us in. My friend however told the cops, he wants to file a civil lawsuit against me for assault and battery. If I am convicted through a civil lawsuit, is there a possibility of me getting jail time? I thought civil lawsuits were mostly people who sued for damages or money.
1 ANSWER
You are not likely to face any jail time from a civil suit. If the police arrested you and charged you with assault and battery (criminal) then you might face jail time. The purpose of a civil suit is to recover money damages. I don't practice in California though, so you might want to consult a local attorney.
Answered on Aug 25th, 2011 at 1:43 PM