Criminal law

thumb|Human civilisations throughout history have universally considered murder to be a crime.

body of law that relates to crime

A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the adversarial system, which is adopted in common law, or inquisitorial system, which is adopted in civil law. The prosecution is the legal party responsible for presenting the case in a criminal trial against the defendant, an individual accused of breaking the law. Typically, the prosecutor represents the state or the government in the case brought against the accused person.

thumb|380x380px|An extradition document from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department|St. Louis Police Department in the [[United States, requesting the extradition of a murder suspect suspected of fleeing to Auckland in New Zealand, 1885]]

expression supporting proportional punishment; no more and no less

Ratification is a principal's legal confirmation of an act of its agent. In international law, ratification is the process by which a state declares its consent to be bound to a treaty. In the case of bilateral treaties, ratification is usually accomplished by exchanging the requisite instruments, and in the case of multilateral treaties, the usual procedure is for the depositary to collect the ratifications of all states, keeping all parties informed of the situation.

action against the law, subject to punishment

thumb|right|240px|A representative from the United States Department of State |U.S. State Department congratulates and offers a partial payment to a fully disguised informant whose information led to the neutralization of a terrorist in the Philippines thumb|Two-page totally confidential, direct and immediate letter from the Iranian Minister of Finance to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Hossein Fatemi) about creating a foreign information network for controlling smuggling, 15 December 1952

thumb|right|Newton Knight (1837–1922) was an anti-Confederate rebel soldier and founder of the "Free State of Jones" in the area in and around [[Jones County, Mississippi, at the height of the American Civil War.]]

Parole, also known as provisional release, supervised release, or being on paper, is a form of early release of a prison inmate where the prisoner agrees to abide by behavioral conditions, including checking in with their designated parole officers, or else they may be rearrested and returned to prison. Parole is not an additional sentence; rather it is a system that allows inmates to finish their original sentence outside of prison under supervision. In some jurisdictions in the United States, people may shorten their time on parole through earned compliance credits. thumb|right|230px|A parol

civil and human right

Penology (also penal theory) is a subfield of criminology that deals with the philosophy and practice of various societies in their attempts to repress criminal activities, and satisfy public opinion via an appropriate treatment regime for persons convicted of criminal offences.

A misdemeanor (American English, spelled misdemeanour elsewhere) is any "lesser" criminal act in some common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished less severely than more serious felonies, but theoretically more so than administrative infractions (also known as minor, petty, or summary offences) and regulatory offences. Typically, misdemeanors are punished with prison time of no longer than one year, monetary fines, or community service.

investigation or exercise of care that a reasonable business or person is normally expected to take before entering into an agreement or contract with another party or an act with a certain standard of care

An indictment ( ) is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that use the concept of felonies, the most serious criminal offense is a felony. Jurisdictions that do not use that concept often use that of an indictable offence, which is an offence that requires an indictment.

Manslaughter is a term in common law for homicide considered less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is sometimes said to have first been made by the ancient Athenian lawmaker Draco in the 7th century BC.

A felony is traditionally considered a crime of high seriousness, whereas a misdemeanor is regarded as less serious. The term "felony" originated from English common law (from the French medieval word "félonie") to describe an offense that resulted in the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods, to which additional punishments, including capital punishment, could be added; other crimes were called misdemeanors. Following conviction of a felony in a court of law, a person may be described as a felon or a convicted felon.

A wrong, or wrength (from Old English – 'crooked'), is an act that is illegal, incorrect, or immoral. Legal wrongs are usually quite clearly defined in the law of a state or jurisdiction. They can be divided into civil wrongs and crimes (or criminal offenses) in common law countries, while civil law countries tend to have some additional categories, such as contraventions. Moral wrong is an underlying concept for legal wrong. Some moral wrongs are punishable by law, for example rape or murder. Other moral wrongs have nothing to do with law but are related to unethical behaviours. On the other

graphical representation of one or more eyewitnesses' memories of a face

legal principle

the right to refuse to answer questions from law enforcement officers or court officials

policy with no discretion for leniency

agreement in a criminal case between the prosecutor and defendant

penological process to make a person again a functional part of society

the causal relationship between conduct and result

legal principle that penalties can be imposed only for violations of law

natural or intentional damage or destruction of public or private property

In law, a conviction is the determination by a court of law that a defendant is guilty of a crime. A conviction may follow a guilty plea that is accepted by the court, a jury trial in which a verdict of guilty is delivered, or a trial by judge in which the defendant is found guilty.

warrant issued by a judge or magistrate on behalf of the state, which authorizes the arrest and detention of an individual, or the search and seizure of an individual's property

mental element in criminal law

any information or evidence presented to the court regarding the defendant or the circumstances of the crime that might result in reduced charges or a lesser sentence

in criminal law, a person's physical action to commit a crime

law under which a man who commits rape is exonerated if he marries his female victim

thumb|Alan Freed was a notable disc jockey convicted of accepting payola bribes.

thumb|The Huntsville Unit of the [[Texas Department of Criminal Justice in Huntsville, Texas, is a prison, a component of a correctional system.]] thumb|Qur'anic education for offenders at the [[Central Jail Faisalabad in Faisalabad, Pakistan]]

extrajudicial punishment that is motivated by the nonexistence of law and order or dissatisfaction with judicial punishment

failure to act, which generally attracts different legal consequences from positive conduct

Contraband (from Medieval French contrebande "smuggling") is any item that, relating to its nature, is illegal to be possessed or sold. It comprises goods that by their nature are considered too dangerous or offensive in the eyes of the legislator—termed contraband in se—and forbidden.

Law principle

In criminal law, self-incrimination is the act of making a statement that exposes oneself to an accusation of criminal liability or prosecution. Self-incrimination can occur either directly or indirectly: directly, by means of interrogation where information of a self-incriminatory nature is disclosed; or indirectly, when information of a self-incriminatory nature is disclosed voluntarily without pressure from another person.

legal term for one who testifies as a witness for the state

Larceny is a crime involving the unlawful taking or theft of the personal property of another person or business. It was an offence under the common law of England and became an offence in jurisdictions which incorporated the common law of England into their own law (also statutory law), where in many cases it remains in force.

any circumstance which increases the guilt or enormity or adds to its injurious consequences of a crime or tort

legal principle requiring proof of a crime occurring prior to conviction of anyone for that crime

legal standard of proof required for arrests and warrants under US law

The concept of a private citizen being able to make a formal arrest

compensation paid by an offender (usually a murderer) or their family to kin of the victim

institution that allows people to re-integrate into society

a substantive component of a criminal offence that must be proven

In criminal law, incitement is the encouragement of another person to commit a crime. Depending on the jurisdiction, some or all types of incitement may be illegal. Where illegal, it is known as an inchoate offense, where harm is intended but may or may not have actually occurred.

evidence that indirectly supports a conclusion, but allows for multiple explanations

travelling by public transport without paying

reason for performing a criminal act

An accusation is a statement by one person asserting that another person or entity has done something improper. The person who makes the accusation is an accuser, while the subject against whom it is made is the accused. Whether a statement is interpreted as an accusation may rely on the social environment in which it is made:

concept in tort law that arises in a number of cases, describing a circumstance in which a party can be held liable for failing to come to the rescue of another party in who could face potential injury or death without being rescued

legal doctrine regarding criminal intention

premeditation or predetermination of a crime, increasing the guilt or enormity of the crime

high legal standard of proof, usually required for criminal conviction

A day-fine, unit fine or structured fine is a pecuniary sanction which is based on the severity of the offence as well as the income (or wealth) of the offender.