Types of LawsTypes of Laws15.215.2

Criminal LawCriminal Law

• CriminalCriminal laws seek to laws seek to prevent people from prevent people from deliberately harming each deliberately harming each other or each otherother or each other’’s s propertyproperty

• American courts operate on American courts operate on an an adversaryadversary system; the system; the courtroom serves as an courtroom serves as an arena where lawyers arena where lawyers present cases to an present cases to an impartial judgeimpartial judge

Criminal LawCriminal Law

• In criminal cases, In criminal cases, the government is the government is always the always the plaintiffplaintiff, the party , the party that brings the that brings the charges against charges against the accused; the the accused; the individual or group individual or group accused of the accused of the crime is the crime is the defendantdefendant

Criminal LawCriminal Law

• FeloniesFelonies are serious crimes such as murder, rape, are serious crimes such as murder, rape, kidnapping, or robbery and have serious kidnapping, or robbery and have serious consequencesconsequences

• MisdemeanorsMisdemeanors are less serious crimes such as are less serious crimes such as vandalism, these are usually punished with a fine vandalism, these are usually punished with a fine or jail sentence of less than a yearor jail sentence of less than a year

Criminal LawCriminal Law

• Crimes against Crimes against propertyproperty are are the most common type of the most common type of crime:crime:

• LarcenyLarceny is the unlawful is the unlawful taking of a persontaking of a person’’s s property with the intent property with the intent never to return itnever to return it

Criminal LawCriminal Law

• RobberyRobbery is the taking of a person is the taking of a person’’s property by s property by force or threatforce or threat

Criminal LawCriminal Law•BurglaryBurglary is the is the

unlawful entry unlawful entry into any dwelling into any dwelling or structure with or structure with the intent to the intent to commit a crime commit a crime

Civil LawCivil Law• Civil cases involve disputes between Civil cases involve disputes between

peoplepeople or groups of people, where no or groups of people, where no criminal laws have been broken; they criminal laws have been broken; they are not viewed as a threat to social are not viewed as a threat to social orderorder

• When a civil case goes to court, it is When a civil case goes to court, it is called a called a lawsuitlawsuit

Civil LawCivil Law• Civil law also covers Civil law also covers tortstorts, or civil wrongs; in tort , or civil wrongs; in tort

law a person may suffer an injury and claim law a person may suffer an injury and claim another party is responsible for negligenceanother party is responsible for negligence

• Another type of civil law is Another type of civil law is familyfamily law on issues law on issues like divorce or custody like divorce or custody

Other Kinds of LawOther Kinds of Law

• Constitutional LawConstitutional Law applies to that applies to that branch of the law dealing with the branch of the law dealing with the formation, construction, and formation, construction, and interpretation of constitutionsinterpretation of constitutions

• (Ex. Limits of the government(Ex. Limits of the government’’s power s power and rights of the individual) and rights of the individual)

Other Kinds of LawOther Kinds of Law• Administrative Administrative

LawLaw refers to the refers to the rules and rules and regulations the regulations the executive branch executive branch must make to must make to carry out its jobcarry out its job

• (Ex. Federal (Ex. Federal Communications Communications Commission- Commission- mass media)mass media)

Other Kinds of LawOther Kinds of Law• Statutory LawStatutory Law refers refers

to any law written to any law written by a legislative by a legislative branch of branch of government- US government- US Congress, state Congress, state legislatures, and legislatures, and local legislatureslocal legislatures

• (Ex. Speed limits, (Ex. Speed limits, inspecting food, inspecting food, drivers license, etc.) drivers license, etc.)