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TRANSCRIPT
Chapter 5Our Criminal Laws
Lesson 5-1 Criminal Law
What is a Crime?
• A punishable offense against society • Society (through police & prosecutors)
attempts to identify, arrest, prosecute, and punish the criminal • Efforts are designed to protect society
rather than the victim of the crime
Three Elements of a Crime(1) Duty State statutes prohibiting certain conduct (2) Violation of the Duty Breach of the duty (3) Criminal Intent Defendant intended to commit the act Defendant intended to do evil
Embezzlement
Taking another’s property or money by a person to whom it has been entrusted
Corporations and Criminal Intent
• Can corporations (organizations) form criminal intent? Yes—if their employees have criminal
intent, their employer may be judged to have criminal intent
• When corporate employees commit a crime, can officers be held criminally responsible?
Yes—vicarious criminal liability
Criminal Intent and Age
Early common law Under 7 - below the age of reason Over 14 - know the difference between
right and wrong Between - knowledge had to be proven
Criminal Intent and Age
Today Age of criminal liability is 18 in most
states Minors as young as 7 may be tried and
punished as adults if they are accused of serious crimes such as murder
Criminal Intent
Sufficient mental capacity needed • Insane persons
(no) • Voluntary
intoxication (yes) • Drug use (yes)
Is Criminal Intent Always Required for a Crime?
• Not for less serious crimes when jail is unlikely Traffic offenses
• Extreme carelessness Conduct is so careless some
courts treat it the same as criminal intent
Criminal Conduct
• Crimes against a person Assault and battery, kidnapping, rape,
murder • Crimes against property
Theft, robbery, embezzlement • Crimes against the government and
administration of justice Treason, tax evasion, perjury
Criminal Conduct• Crimes against public peace and order –
Rioting, disorderly conduct, illegal speeding• Crimes against realty –Burglary, arson,
criminal trespass • Crimes against consumers –Fraudulent sale
of securities, violation of pure food and drug laws • Crimes against decency –Bigamy, obscenity,
prostitution
Felony –Punishable by confinement for more than a year in state prison and/or –Punishable by a fine of more than $1,000 or –Death –Murder, rape, kidnapping, arson, robbery, burglary, embezzlement, forgery, theft of large sums, perjury
Classification of Crimes
Classification of CrimesMisdemeanor –Punishable by confinement in a county or city jail for less than one year and/or by fine –Disorderly conduct, speeding –Infractions •Lesser misdemeanors
Business-Related Crimes•Businesses are subject to general criminal law •Referred to as white-collar crimes •Do not involve force or violence, do not cause injury to people, and do not cause physical damage to property •Ex: evading income taxes, defrauding consumers, conspiring to fix prices, false fire and auto insurance claims, bribery
Larceny
•Commonly known as theft •The wrongful taking of money or personal property belonging to someone else, with the intent to deprive the owner of possession •Robbery—taking of property from another’s person or immediate presence, against the victim’s will, by force or by causing fear •Burglary—entering a building without permission when intending to commit a crime
Larceny (con’t)
•Shoplifting, pickpocketing, purse snatching •Can be a felony or a misdemeanor •Determined by the value of the property stolen and other circumstances •Robbery and burglary are always felonies
Receiving Stolen Property
•Knowingly receiving stolen property –intent to deprive the rightful owner of
the property •Fence
–one who receives stolen property
False Pretenses
•Obtaining money/property by lying about a past or existing fact •Victim parts with property voluntarily •Type of fraud
Forgery•Falsely making/altering a writing to defraud another •Checks •Usually a felony
Bribery•Unlawfully offering or giving anything of value to influence performance of an official
•Soliciting or accepting the bribe is also criminal
Computer Crime
•Larceny? –“the taking of personal property”
Extortion
•Known as blackmail •Obtaining money/property from a person by wrongful use of force, fear, or power of office
Conspiracy
•An agreement between two or more persons to commit a crime •Usually secret •Conspiracy is a separate crime from the crime the parties plan to commit •Either a felony or a misdemeanor •Businesses: fix prices or divide markets
Arson
•Willful and illegal burning of a building