A criminal offense is “an illegal act for which someone may be subject to punishment by the government.” A violation of any law, whether municipal, state or federal law, is a crime. By learning about the many forms of criminal offenses, one can acquire insight into their differences and the reasons for the varying degrees of punishment.
Different factors drive different criminal acts. For instance, crime rates tend to be greater in economically depressed communities because residents may have no choice but to use extreme means to ensure their survival. Motives include vengeance, the rush one gets from committing a crime, mental illness, and addiction are also possible.
Kinds of Crimes
Criminal defense lawyers represent many clients facing various charges. The varying statutes and regulations pertaining to each charge can be confusing. Criminal lawyers can analyze the law and decide the best defense for a client facing criminal accusations. There are too many criminal activities to list in one post, but they can be categorized.
1. Crimes Against a Person
As far as crimes go, this is the worst kind there is. Inflicting pain on another person, physically or emotionally, is a crime. Assaults, batteries, and other forms of domestic violence fall under this heading. Homicide, which takes a person’s life, can be charged at several levels depending on intent and premeditation. Criminal homicide includes both murder and manslaughter.
The punishments for crimes committed against people are usually the most severe. In addition to hefty fines, a person guilty of such a crime may face misdemeanor or criminal charges carrying jail terms of several years to decades. If you have assault charges, you can contact a battery lawyer for legal aid and representation to prove your innocence.
2. Crimes Against Property
Crimes that do not directly harm another person, such as those committed against property, are generally viewed as less serious. Some examples of crimes committed against property are shoplifting, theft (larceny), grand theft, auto theft, arson, and destruction of property.
Penalties for property crimes vary with the worth of the item stolen, the nature of the crime committed, and the offender’s prior criminal record, if any. The charges and penalties may change depending on the nature of the property involved. You can visit websites like https://www.johncaffreylaw.com/practice-areas/criminal-law/weapon-drug-charges/ and read articles and blog posts about it.
3. Crimes Against Morality
Crimes against morals are defined as offenses that do not directly result in harm to a person or their property. Instead, they are acts that go against commonly held norms of society.
They are illegal and can result in jail time, fines, or other penalties depending on the specifics of the law. Prostitution, bigamy, illicit gambling, illegal drug usage, and indecent exposure are all examples of morally reprehensible behaviors.
4. Statutory Crimes
Because all crimes are explicitly prohibited by law, technically, all crimes are statutory crimes. However, in this context, we mean by “statutory crimes,” those actions are forbidden for society’s safety and improvement.
This includes crimes committed while under the influence of drugs or alcohol and violations of the law committed while operating a motor vehicle. It is possible that offenses against morality can also be classified as crimes under the law. If you’re facing a statutory crime, you can avail of the services of a law firm personal injury to represent you in court.
5. White Collar Crimes
The business world is home to many instances of white collar crime, typically financially. They do not resort to violence, but they can nevertheless result in enormous financial losses for individuals and businesses. Although they do not cause physical harm, this does not mean that there are no victims.