Law: Criminal Law Overview

Criminal Law Overview

Written by SWI Digital Staff

Criminal law involves prosecution by repparttar

government of a person for an act that has been classified as a crime. Civil cases, on repparttar 119298

other hand, involve individuals and organizations seeking to resolve legal disputes. In a criminal case repparttar 119299

state, through a prosecutor, initiates repparttar 119300

suit, while in a civil case repparttar 119301

victim brings repparttar 119302

suit. Persons convicted of a crime may be incarcerated, fined, or both. However, persons found liable in a civil case may only have to give up property or pay money, but are not incarcerated. A "crime" is any act or omission (of an act) in violation of a public law forbidding or commanding it. Though there are some common law crimes, most crimes in repparttar 119303

United States are established by local, state, and federal governments. Criminal laws vary significantly from state to state. There is, however, a Model Penal Code (MPC) which serves as a good starting place to gain an understanding of repparttar 119304

basic structure of criminal liability.

Crimes include both felonies (more serious offenses -- like murder or rape) and misdemeanors (less serious offenses -- like petty theft or jaywalking). Felonies are usually crimes punishable by imprisonment of a year or more, while misdemeanors are crimes punishable by less than a year. However, no act is a crime if it has not been previously established as such either by statute or common law. Recently, repparttar 119305 list of Federal crimes, dealing with activities extending beyond state boundaries or having special impact on federal operations, has grown. See Title 18.

My Book Contains "No Artificial Growth Hormones"

Written by David Leonhardt

I don't usually get too excited about what I read in repparttar

news. After all, what can I do about it? But one item I recently saw made me jump up out of my chair.

I rushed over to my clever lawyer's office.

"Look at this!" I proclaimed as I burst into his office.

Clever Lawyer said nothing. His client echoed his words with her ruby red lips.

I placed repparttar 119297 newspaper on his desk.

"Happy Guy, what are you doing here?" he wanted to know. "We don't have a meeting."

"Just look at this headline." I demanded, ignoring his irritating obsession with minute details. "We should take action immediately."

Slowly, Clever Lawyer picked up repparttar 119298 newspaper and read repparttar 119299 headline. His eyes returned to me. "This says that Monsanto is suing Oakhurst Dairy for labels on their milk reading 'no artificial growth hormones'. What does that have to do with you?"

"Don't you see?" I asked incredulously. "Monsanto makes rBST, an artificial hormone for milk cows. It looks like they think repparttar 119300 label on Oakhurst Dairy milk hurts their business because it implies that milk from their hormone-treated cows is inferior."

"I don't see what it has to do with you," Clever Lawyer said.

"Yes, I don't see what it has to do with you," Ruby Red chimed in.

"It has everything to do with me," I replied. "Look here. See this book about happiness? Top Publisher printed 'New York Times Bestseller' right on repparttar 119301 cover. Can you believe it?"

"Oh yeah, I've heard of this book," Clever Lawyer smiled. "It's supposed to be quite good. In fact, I recall seeing it on repparttar 119302 New York Times bestseller list."

"Exactly," I exclaimed. "Let's sue Top Publisher for everything he's got."

"Why?" Clever Lawyer wanted to know, much to my surprise.

"Yes, why?" Ruby Red also wanted to know.

"Because he is claiming his book is a New York Times bestseller," I explained in exasperation.

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