Chapter 10: Criminal Law Flashcards
crime
- positive/negative act that violates a penal law.
- it is an offense against a state or fed gov
- punishments are determined by statutes passed by fed and state legislatures within constitution
civil laws
concerns civil and private rights and remedies
felony
- serious crime
- punished more than a year in prison
- listed in class or degrees
misdemeanors
- less serious
- punished by fine or a year and less in prison
- class A B C
victimless crime
- no party is injured
- e.g: possession of illegal drugs
first degree murder
- murder has been planned
- committed with extreme cruetly
second degree murder
- not premeditated
- lesser punishments
manslaughter
- voluntary - involuntary
- unlawful killing committed recklessly or under influence of extreme mental distress
- heat of passion
white-collar crimes
- nonviolent crimes
- by corporations or individuals
to be convicted of a crime
gov must prove beyond a resonable doubt that
(1) the acused committed illegal act
(2) there was necessary intent or state of mind to commit the act
actus reus
- perform act with wrongful deed (guilty act)
mens rea
- wrongful purpose in the criminal act committed
criminal negligence
- Not intentional
- wrongful b/c someone failed to act w reasonable care that is expected under circumstances
miranda rights
persons accused of a crime, or held in suspicion of a crime, must be informed of their right to remain silent, and statements they make can be used as evidence against them
statute of limitations
if a crime if not prosecuted within the time set by statute of limitations, state loses the right to bring duit
toll
statute of limitations may toll : the clock stops running under circumstances
affirmative defense
defendant attempt to show that even if the prosecution’s claims are true , there are other facts which prevent the claims from constituting the crime charged
e.g: intoxication, insanity, self-defense, trap
entrapment
- legal to string straps on criminals
- entrapment can be a successful defense
- defendant has burden of proof
chain of custody
- evidence must be gathered, handled, presented properly
exclusionary rule
evidence gathered improperly may not be used at trial
- the fruit of the poisonous tree
warrant
- issued by a judge or appointed magistrate who, in the name of state, authorizes an officer to search for and seize any property, often called personal “effects”, that may be evidence of a crime
- must have probable cause
probable cause
reasonable grounds, based on their knowledge to date, believe that a person should be searched or arrested
prosecution process
- evidence would be considered by prosecuting attorney
- determination of what kind of charges to bring
- grand jury review potential cases
- grand jury determines probable cause
- grand jury issue an indictment when so requested by prosecutor
arraignment
- criminal charges filed -> accused is arrested by police based in warrant
- suspect is booked at police station
- arraignment: court appearance when district attorney gives accused copy of criminal charges
- arrange time for trial, bails…
- likely to have an attempt to obtain a plea bargain