Burden of proof

Civil enforcement actions are decided on the preponderance of the evidence; criminal prosecutions require proof beyond a reasonable doubt. This is why the same conduct can produce a civil judgment and a criminal acquittal.

law and enforcement · updated 2026-09-08

See also

• Criminal parallel — A criminal parallel is a prosecution running alongside a civil regulatory action arising from the same conduct. The two resolve on…
• Allegation — An allegation is an assertion that a regulator or prosecutor intends to prove but has not yet proved. Every filed action on this s…

Terms that refer here

Allegation · Criminal parallel

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