Criminal

A Criminal is a person who commits acts prohibited and punishable under Criminal Law.

• Context:
  • They can range form being a Petty Criminal to being a Felon Criminal.
  • ...
  • They can involve acts explicitly prohibited by criminal law and are punishable by the state.
  • They can be differentiated from Civil Law violations, which primarily impact individual rights rather than society or the state at large.
  • They can involve both an unlawful act (actus reus) and intent (mens rea), though strict liability crimes may not require intent.
  • They can lead to personal restrictions, such as imprisonment or other punitive measures, affecting the individual's liberty.
  • They can be subject to various levels of punishment based on the severity and nature of the crime committed.
  • They can vary in definition and statutory requirements across different jurisdictions, with local legal standards determining criminal conduct.
  • They can lead to a trial and related criminal procedures to establish guilt or innocence.
  • They can be punishable by sentences such as imprisonment, life imprisonment, community sentences, or, in some regions, capital punishment.
  • They can result in a criminal record, impacting the individual's future rights and liberties.
  • They can lead to the loss of specific civil rights, such as voting rights or firearm ownership, depending on crime severity and jurisdiction.
  • ...
• Example(s):
  • Violent criminals, including those who commit acts like murder or rape.
  • Property criminals, involved in offenses like theft or burglary.
  • White-collar criminals, engaging in crimes such as fraud or embezzlement.
  • Organized criminals, associated with activities like racketeering or trafficking.
  • ...
  • Al Capone, a notorious American gangster involved in organized crime, including bootlegging and racketeering during the Prohibition era.
  • Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, infamous American outlaws known for their string of bank robberies and other crimes during the Great Depression.
  • Ted Bundy, an American serial killer known for his numerous murders across multiple states in the 1970s, highlighting issues in criminal profiling and interstate law enforcement.
  • Pablo Escobar, a Colombian drug lord who led the Medellín Cartel, one of the most powerful criminal organizations, responsible for extensive drug trafficking.
  • Charles Manson, leader of the Manson Family cult, responsible for orchestrating several murders, exemplifying cult-related criminal activity.
  • John Dillinger, an American bank robber labeled Public Enemy Number One during the Great Depression, symbolizing the rise of infamous outlaws in American history.
  • ...
• Counter-Examples:
  • Not all law violators are considered criminals; some violations are governed by Civil Law rather than Criminal Law.
  • Civil law violations are resolved through civil procedures rather than criminal punishment.
  • Criminal definitions vary by statutory law and jurisdiction, with some acts universally criminalized and others specific to particular regions.
  • Criminal status generally requires a conviction within the relevant legal jurisdiction.
• See: Civil Procedure, State (Polity), Criminal Law, Statutory Law, Prevention of Crimes Act 1871, Murder, Rape.

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References

2024

• (Wikipedia, 2024) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime Retrieved:2024-11-12.
  • In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term crime does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition, though statutory definitions have been provided for certain purposes. The most popular view is that crime is a category created by law; in other words, something is a crime if declared as such by the relevant and applicable law. One proposed definition is that a crime or offence (or criminal offence) is an act harmful not only to some individual but also to a community, society, or the state ("a public wrong"). Such acts are forbidden and punishable by law. The notion that acts such as murder, rape, and theft are to be prohibited exists worldwide. What precisely is a criminal offence is defined by the criminal law of each relevant jurisdiction. While many have a catalogue of crimes called the criminal code, in some common law nations no such comprehensive statute exists.

    The state (government) has the power to severely restrict one's liberty for committing a crime. In modern societies, there are procedures to which investigations and trials must adhere. If found guilty, an offender may be sentenced to a form of reparation such as a community sentence, or, depending on the nature of their offence, to undergo imprisonment, life imprisonment or, in some jurisdictions, death.

    Usually, to be classified as a crime, the "act of doing something criminal" (actus reus) mustwith certain exceptionsbe accompanied by the "intention to do something criminal" (mens rea).

    While every crime violates the law, not every violation of the law counts as a crime. Breaches of private law (torts and breaches of contract) are not automatically punished by the state, but can be enforced through civil procedure.

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