All Criminal Law Topics

There are three components to the criminal justice system:arrest or detention, adjudication, and punishment.

In a criminal case, even if you admit to committing the crime, you may raise any of a number of defenses to challenge or deny legal responsibility, including insanity, incapacity, self-defense, and duress.

The criminal charge most frequently prosecuted is drunk driving, known alternatively as driving under the influence (DUI), or driving while intoxicated (DWI).

In certain circumstances, you can seek to expunge, or permanently seal, the public record of a prior arrest or conviction.

Certain crimes, considered by society to be serious in nature, are identified as felonies. Felonies can carry substantial penalties, including substantial fines and prison time.

Property crimes are offenses that involve an individual’s wrongful acquisition, or destruction, of property that belongs to another individual.

Under some state and federal statutes, if law enforcement officials believe you have been involved in criminal activity (most commonly drug violations), you may face the loss or forfeiture of any property perceived to be obtained with the proceeds from illegal activity, even though you may not be charged with or convicted of a crime.

The U.S. Constitution, in the Bill of Rights, sets forth specific rights for anyone under investigation for, detained, or charged with a crime. The federal courts have further defined the scope of these rights.

In the juvenile justice system, penalties tend to lean toward rehabilitation, rather than punishment. In most instances, juveniles will be treated less harshly, even if their crime is one for which an adult would be penalized. Some juvenile offenses, though, are merely status offenses, which would not be crimes if committed by adults.

Although a misdemeanor is a less serious offense than a felony, it may nonetheless involve incarceration and substantial fines. The terminology and sanctions related to misdemeanors vary from state to state.

Learn about various types of criminal offenses.

Traffic offenses are generally governed by state or municipal laws. Though frequently considered minor infractions, traffic tickets can lead to significant expense and even the loss of driving privileges.

Certain non-violent crimes, committed by individuals with access to records, property, or financial accounts, have become known as white collar crimes. These illegal acts include fraud, embezzlement, corruption, bribery, and money laundering, among others.

Americans are ensured certain protections against unreasonable search and seizure by the 4th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Sex crimes are considered serious breaches of the social contract. These crimes, which are generally governed by state law, range from public indecency to rape and may be punished as misdemeanors or felonies. Learn about how these offenses are defined here.

What constitutes a controlled substance? What are the consequences for the sale or possession of a controlled substance? Growing awareness of the dangers of certain kinds of drugs and an increased tolerance of others have wrought changes in the law. Since drug offenses remain some of the most harshly punished crimes, it is vital to know what sorts of acts and what types of substances are prohibited by U.S. law.