Business Law
Name______
Ch. 2 Notes Day 1
The Spirit of the Law
When people commit ______, they harm not only individuals, but also ______as a whole. Our society does not allow acts that threaten the ______, safety, and ______-______of the entire community. Thus, ______, is an act against the ______good, punishable by fine, ______, or both. No act can be considered a crime unless it is ______by the law of the place where it is committed and unless that law provides for the ______of the offender.
Classification of Crimes
In a ______proceeding the state or ______government, representing the public at large, is the ______. The ______is the party that ______a person of a crime. Usually, the government is referred to as the ______. The person who is accused of the crime is called the ______. We are going to discuss a concept that is fundamental to proper understanding of criminal law, classifying crimes according to the degree of ______.
Felonies
A felony is a ______crime punishable by imprisonment or ______. To determine whether or not a crime is a felony, we look at the law to see what the ______is for committing that particular crime. Murder, ______, burglary, ______and ______are examples of felonies. The federal Comprehensive Crime Control Act defines felony as “any offense punishable by death or imprisonment for a term exceeding ______year.” Some states, like New Jersey do not use the word “felony,” instead they call their serious crimes
“high ______.”
Misdemeanors
A less serious crime with a less severe ______is a misdemeanor. Misdemeanors require a penalty such as a ______or imprisonment in a county or city jail. Some examples of misdemeanors are driving without a ______, lying about one’s ______to purchase alcohol, and leaving the scene of an ______accident. Some states also classify lesser crimes as ______misdemeanors or ______offenses. Typical minor misdemeanors would include ______offenses and ______violations.