According to the Legal Information Institute, criminal law is the aspect of law relating to crime, it deals with punishing people who have committed a crime. Criminal law should be distinguished from civil law, as civil (civilian) law addresses the disputes amongst people of the society whose actions are deemed unwelcomed by the society. Examples of civil cases includes but are not limited to libel and slander cases, which although can escalate to a criminal case.
Criminal offenses are defined as acts that violates laws set by the state or federal government. In the United States, criminal justice system “a person” accused of a crime is not guilty until proven so by the prosecution. Laws guiding the United States legal system are made based on some federal laws and sometimes local which are then brought to the legislative branch of government for ratification. The most commonly known rights are the bills of right which are the first ten amendments to the U.S constitution. The importance of having laws that guides this process is very important as it serves as a standard for the citizens, as a criminal defense lawyer Arlington TX trusts can attest.
As we live in a democratic society, laws regarding criminal acts varies from state to state, and as you can imagine laws are made by humans. Hence, they are therefore ever evolving. Criminal law outlines the privileges and duties of an individual and the role he plays in the society. Unchanged and common progenies in criminal law are the elements of the specific crimes and the components of various criminal defenses. The criminal process mostly affects the implementations of individuals’ rights during the criminal process. Examples of procedural issues are individuals’ rights during law enforcement investigation, arrest, filing of charges, trial, and appeal cases. Acts that are considered criminal includes white collar crimes, drug related, violent acts that results in the death or injury of people, rape, burglary, thefts and larceny. Each state has its own classification of each committed acts, some can be categorized as misdemeanors and others as felony both also having different degrees. Attorneys that practice this area of law are often regard to as criminal defense attorneys. The verdicts of criminal acts are delivered as it pertains to the case, some cases are determined by a jury and others by judges.
Thanks to our friends and contributors from Brandy Austin Law Firm PLLC for their insight into criminal defense.
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