Types of Laws 15.2

Criminal Law Criminal laws seek to prevent people from deliberately harming each other or each other’s property American courts operate on an adversary system; the courtroom serves as an arena where lawyers present cases to an impartial judge In criminal cases, the government is always the plaintiff, the party that brings the charges against the accused; the individual or group accused of the crime is the defendant

Criminal Law Felonies are serious crimes such as murder, rape, kidnapping, or robbery and have serious consequences Misdemeanors are less serious crimes such as vandalism, these are usually punished with a fine or jail sentence of less than a year

Criminal Law Crimes against property are the most common type of crime: Larceny is the unlawful taking of a person’s property with the intent never to return it Robbery is the taking of a person’s property by force or threat Burglary is the unlawful entry into any dwelling or structure with the intent to commit a crime

Civil Law Civil cases involve disputes between people or groups of people, where no criminal laws have been broken; they are not viewed as a threat to social order When a civil case goes to court, it is called a lawsuit

Civil Law Civil law also covers torts, or civil wrongs; in tort law a person may suffer an injury and claim another party is responsible for negligence Another type of civil law is family law on issues like divorce or custody

Other Kinds of Law Constitutional Law applies to that branch of the law dealing with the formation, construction, and interpretation of constitutions (Ex. Limits of the government’s power and rights of the individual)

Other Kinds of Law Administrative Law refers to the rules and regulations the executive branch must make to carry out its job (Ex. Federal Communications Commission- mass media)

Other Kinds of Law Statutory Law refers to any law written by a legislative branch of government- US Congress, state legislatures, and local legislatures (Ex. Speed limits, inspecting food, drivers license, etc.)