The Basics of Criminal Law

There are two major areas of the law that apply to all individuals: criminal law and civil law. These two areas operate in mostly the same manner;both are designed to enforce behavior restrictions that we as a people have decided should be in place. When people defy these restrictions—otherwise known as laws—then they are penalized for that behavior. Although these two different kinds of cases follow the same basic pattern, they are markedly different in the kinds of outcomes that they can produce. Because of this difference, it is important for a person charged in a criminal case to get a lawyer so they can be adequately represented. Criminal defense cases, out of all the different kinds of legal cases, require a good lawyer because of what is on the line. Criminal cases are different from civil cases because of what the defendant stands to lose. Read more on an attorney’s home page to understand what is the major difference between these two areas of the law.

Basics

In its most basic sense, criminal law is the area of law that deals with non-civil matters. This area of the law is designed to settle disputes between the individual and the state. Here, the individual also includes "legal persons" such as corporations and non-profit organizations. The aim of these criminal proceedings is to discipline a person for their actions against the state and citizens of the state. This distribution of punishment is the ultimate goal of criminal law, as compared to civil law, which has the ultimate goal of dispute resolution.

Penalty

Criminal law is designed to regulate social conduct on the theory that if people are not penalized for their bad acts, then they will have no reason to cease acting in such a manner. Criminal law is meant to enforce the code of conduct that society has agreed upon in their laws. The state is meant to protect the health, safety, and moral welfare of their society, and when a person threatens that safety through their actions, they can be held criminally responsible. When an individual is found guilty of such criminal behavior, then they are punished with restrictions on their freedom. You can go to the home page of almost every criminal law firm to determine whether or not an action is considered criminal and might result in a denial of freedom.