Each year there are thousands of different civil litigation cases in the U.S, including the Mathew Couloute case. This particular case is an issue of slander and libel which a former Connecticut prosecutor instigated when an ex-flame of his started warning other women to stay away from him by posting about him online. Matt Couloute’s case is a prime example of what civil litigation cases are all about, though there are of course many other reasons why someone might take another person to civil court, such as a personal injury suit or fraud.
Civil cases typically consist of offenses that are not quite as serious as those which make it to criminal court. Civil and criminal cases in the U.S have their own court systems which are presided over by judges and in the case of criminal court a jury as well. Jurors are selected randomly, though there are certain things which can exclude someone from being on a jury, such as having a certain bias which could affect their ultimate decision regarding the defendant.
You will find that a lot of cases do not even make it to court because there is simply not enough evidence or the judge dismisses the case before it can even begin for whatever reason. There is a whole legal process that goes on during these cases, both civil and criminal, before everything can get started. In the U.S alone there are thousands of civil cases filed every year, some of which do go to trial while others do not.
There are a number of factors which can determine the outcome of these trials, though the result is usually some sort of fine which the defendant is ordered to pay in order to cover damages. In criminal court the punishments are much more severe and often consist of prison sentences.