Legal Question in Business Law in Montana

A crime is considered a harm to society, so the government is the one that addresses it. A tort is a harm to specific people or entities, so it is up to them to seek redress. The public does not pay for lawyers to handle private claims.

But sometimes a criminal judgment will include an order that the defendant pay restitution to the victim(s). The payment benefits the victim but is part of the punishment society inflicts for the crime.

Note that a lot of criminal acts are also torts, and it is very common for the defendant to be both sued civilly and prosecuted criminally.