Ch 13 Flashcards
Civil law
Allows individuals to bring actions for damages
Sherman antitrust act 1890
Made price fixing illegal
Criminal law
Allows society to punish wrongdoers
White collar crime
Applies to criminals of high socioeconomic status
Ex. Corporate executives who commit fraud
What are white collar crimes not dependent on?
2) what is the goal of the crime?
Not dependent on threat of physical force or violence
2) goal: obtain resources, services, avoid payment or loss for
Personal or business advantage
Common examples of white collar crime
Embezzling money, making electronic advances to fictitious
Employees,
accepting kickbacks from suppliers in exchange
For orders, rigging bids, selling trade secrets, falsifying
Inventories to conceal theft, paying false invoices
Penalties for white collar crimes
Jail time for guilty parties, fines paid by company
Crime classification: felony
Felonies punishable by fine or imprisonment for period
Of 1 year or more
Classifications of crime: Misdemeanors
Punishable by fine or jail sentence of less than 1 year
Grand jury Indictment
Felony cases are commenced by grand jury indictment
Charge: information
Misdemeanor cases are commenced when government
Files charge called an information
Grand juries vs. Petit juries
Grand juries determine there is sufficient evidence to warrant
Trial (investigatory role)
Petit Jury determines guilt or innocence of accused
Intent
Important element of criminal laws
What 2 terms may be used to define criminal intent?
1 willfully
2 knowingly
Willfully
Act is committed voluntarily and purposefully with specific
Intent to do something
When does a person not act willfully?
If there’s good faith misunderstanding of requirements
Of law
Knowingly
Voluntary and intentional, not because of mistake or accident
In criminal case what 3 possible pleas can a defendant enter
1 guilty
2 not guilty
3 nolo contendere
Nolo contendere
Equivalent of pleading guilty but avoiding costs of trial
Fifth Amendement of US Constitution
Before anyone can be tried for capital or infamous crime
There must be presentment or indictment by grand jury
What does the 5th Ammendment protection prevent
Political trials and unjustified prosecutions by placing group
Of citizens btw prosecutors and persons accused of crimes
Probable cause
Determination where majority of grand jury must find crime
Has been committed
and evidence is sufficient to warrant the accused’s standing
Trial
Presumption of innocence
Presumed innocent until found guilty by petit jury
What an indicted person is entitled too
Civil liberties
Rights protect individuals from power of government
including individuals accused of crimes
The Bill of Rights protects businesses from…
Excessive regulation
Fourth Ammendment protection of: unreasonable searches and seizures by government
Primarily protects persons from unwarranted intrusions
On their privacy
Requires police to obtain search warrant
Search warrant, general rule
Court order, where police offer evidence crime has been
Committed to obtain and it will assist investigation
Must be obtained by police prior to search of person,
Any premises or property (such as trunk of automobile
Businesses that don’t have expectation of privacy, examples
Nursing homes that receive Medicaid funds have voluntarily
Consented to warrantless searches
Also searches at airports
Fourth Ammendment: drug testing
Not protected by fourth amendment in most work places
Fifth Ammendment: protection against incrimination
Protects accused from being compelled to testify against
Himself or herself
By invoking their Miranda Rights