As O.J. Simpson has recently been in the news, some may have been wondering how he was found “not guilty” in his criminal trial but “liable” in a civil trial. 

The question can be answered by looking at the standard that has to be met to “win” a court case. The standard that applies to define winning a court case is called the “burden of proof.” The burden of proof was different in O.J. Simpson’s criminal case than from his civil case.