Arts & Culture
The Differing Burdens of Proof in Civil and Criminal Cases
Quick fact
In the 1995 O.J. Simpson murder trial, a jury found him not guilty because the prosecution failed to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Two years later, a civil jury found him liable for wrongful death using a lower standard: a preponderance of the evidence, showing it was more likely than not that he caused the deaths.
Why this is interesting
Why can one person be acquitted of murder in criminal court but still have to pay millions to the victim's family in civil court? The answer lies in two very different standards of proof.