Criminal Law

Making the transition from time spent in jail to life on the outside is difficult enough without the added complication of having a criminal record available for public perusal. In additional to...

Finding out whether someone went to prison can mean the difference between safety and harm for you and your loved ones. While there are many online websites that claim they can provide you with...

Juveniles who commit crimes are treated differently than adults who commit crimes. Judges who specialize in juvenile crime handle their cases, and the sentences are handled by the juvenile...

Title 18, section 4 of the United States Code makes it a crime to fail to report a federal crime "as soon as possible." Failing to report a federal crime is a separate crime called "misprision of...

The criminal sentencing system in Connecticut does not follow a system of sentencing guidelines like that found in the federal courts or many other states. In fact, the state's sentencing system...

Misdemeanors are crimes which, while less serious than felonies, involve incarceration and/or payment of a fine. In addition, misdemeanors become part of a person's criminal record. Most states...

Cyber crime is a newer term in the justice system that refers to crimes that can be committed with the use of a computer and the Internet. Knowing how cyber crime is committed can help you...

There are two types of crime in American law; misdemeanors, which include the less serious levels of crime, and felonies, which include the more serious levels of crime. Felonies are further...

A term of probation is a sentencing option used widely across the U.S. criminal justice system today. Typically, a jurisdiction utilizes a three-tiered system that includes unsupervised probation,...

Criminal justice is the field of law concerned with defining crimes, identifying people who have committed crimes, proving criminal charges by applicable legal standards and applying appropriate...

If you believe you may be facing arrest on criminal drug charges, your defense should begin immediately. Before you even find a lawyer, you can help your legal case so that the situation doesn't...

As much as 62 percent of property crimes go unreported by the victims, according to the National Crime Victimization Survey by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Victims may decline to report a...

A safe and drug-free California community is the aim for state crime prevention programs. State officers work against targeted crimes with the assistance of local and federal officers and local...

Sometimes reporting a crime is a very difficult thing. In particular, with people that we do not want knowing who called. Note, this information is not to be a snitch on petty crimes, but it is...

News reports regarding computer crimes have become prevalent enough to appear commonplace and simply a part of living within a technological world. However, computer crimes have been in existence...

Judges in Washington State must follow guidelines when sentencing juvenile and adult offenders. The guidelines were set up to ensure that offenders committing similar crimes receive similar...

The term criminal law constitutes the body of law concerned with controlling the behavior of people and punishing the failure to abide by the behavioral regulations set by the law.

Cell phones have had a positive and negative impact on crime. They have had more of a positive effect with victims receiving help where they might not have before. The negatives have been the use...

Sentencing rules for criminal convictions in the state of Arizona depend on the classification of the crime committed. Crimes are first classified as either a felony or misdemeanor, and then...

Criminal law entails the system of crimes committed and the penalties associated with committing those crimes. It is also known as penal law, and encompasses a wide variety of crimes. Each state...

A sexual predator is defined as a person who is attempting to obtain or is obtaining contact with a person with another individual in a predatory manner. Sexual predators are believed to "hunt"...

Sex crimes are any illegal act of a sexual nature. Many go unreported, making it difficult to know the exact number of sex crimes that happen each year.

As a general rule, you should file a police report as soon as the crime happens. Many people, however, have reasons for not filing a police report immediately. Perhaps the crime was committed by a...

Drug related crimes are increasing. Finding an attorney to plea your drug crime charges, is based on the charges you are facing. There can be many different charges to go along with your drug...

The criminal justice system, the cutting edge of a society, reflects its changing values. Issues ranging from women's rights to international treaties to media and the law all have criminal...

"Crime rate" is a major statistical tool utilized by every faction of law enforcement. It gives a picture of how crime is either growing or slowing down in particular areas. It also details which...

A criminal case involves a defendant charged with allegedly committing a crime. There are several different types of criminal cases including misdemeanors and felonies.

There has long been a conflict in law enforcement between enforcing the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. Should an officer enforce every little violation of the law he sees, or should...

If you watch "Law and Order," you know that the first portion of the show focuses on "law," which often includes a primer on police investigation and procedure. Frequently, the show will quickly...

Federal Rule of Evidence 413 allows certain evidence of an accused person's past crimes to be admitted to the court in a criminal trial. This means that if you are found guilty a sexual crime...

To get a criminal conviction removed from your record, you must seek an expungement. If approved, expungement can offer a variety of benefits, including making it easier to find employment. This...

The specific contents of a criminal record may vary between jurisdictions. Some states may only include crimes for which you were committed. Others may list your arrests, pending charges, and...

People with a felony on their criminal record may have difficulty getting a job, due to their imperfect background checks. The only way to remove a felony from a criminal record is to have it...

Until 2004, the laws on identity theft were very weak. That changed with the passage of The Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act, which called for tougher sentences for identity thieves. It also...

Alcohol has been enjoyed by different cultures for thousands of years. While some Americans can enjoy an occasional drink, many cannot. Alcohol-related crimes affect all socioeconomic groups.

Most states in the United States consider a juvenile offender to be anyone who commits a crime and is under the age of 18. Juvenile crime has been studied by psychologists and sociologists who...

A significant portion of juvenile crimes include destruction of property, vandalism and theft. These crimes harm the owners of the stores or property where they occur, as well as creating extra...

Felony crimes are unlawful acts that have been identified as more serious than misdemeanor crimes. They can be punishable by a prison sentence, fines and other measures. Varying degrees of felony...

A bail bond is the amount of money required by a judge or court to release a person and allow him to wait trial outside of a prison. Whether or not a person is eligible for bail depends on a...

Crime is something that impacts everyone, whether directly as a victim or indirectly through societal and economic costs. By understanding the causes of criminal behavior, it may be possible to...

Juvenile crime baffles most adults. To kill for an article of clothing, steal something you could easily afford or to skip classes when education is the way to a decent job makes little sense to...

Juvenile crime is a significant problem in our society, but what is causing it? There are a number of common issues among juvenile offenders that seem to contribute to the overall statistics....

It takes years of education to become a professional crime solver, or forensic scientist. But did you know that you can be an amateur crime solver? Police enlist the help of average citizens to...

Arson may seem like the perfect way to hide a crime or an easy way out of a financial problem, but it's dangerous territory to tread on and for victims of arson it's devastating. There are many...

Whether it's a crime based on ethnicity, race or sexual orientation, hate crimes are an insult to humanity. They go against our basic human right to be different. Hate crimes go beyond racial...

Grand theft, generally referred to as "grand larceny" in U.S. law, is the intentional theft of property or services of significant monetary value. The exact definition of "significant monetary...

Petty theft, also known as petty larceny, is the knowing and willful stealing of property or services valued at less than an amount determined by state law. This amount differs from state to...

The prosecution process for sex crimes--rape, sexual assault and incest--is not always an easy one. The victim must be willing to see the prosecution through to the end, and the legal system is...

According to the 2005 National Crime Victimization Survey, nearly 200,000 people were victims of sex crimes in America. Many grassroots and government-based activism movements fight for the rights...

Juvenile crimes can include anything from creating graffiti on a building to rape or murder. No matter what the offense, a youth caught committing a crime will most likely be punished as provided...