Criminal activities are those activities that may harm an individual or property or frauds, etc. Any act that does not adhere to legal codes or laws of the land is considered a crime.
The US law divides crimes into the following categories:
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Personal Crimes:
These are committed against an individual. Personal crimes include murder, rape, assault, robbery, etc. Data reveals that such crimes affect the young, racial minorities, urban, and poor sections of the American population.
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Crimes against Property:
These are crimes that involve the theft of property without causing bodily harm to any individual. Examples of crimes against property are burglary, larceny, arson, auto theft, etc.
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Hate Crimes:
These crimes are conducted against people or property due to prejudices of race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, religions, etc.
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Crimes against Morality:
Crimes like prostitution, illegal drug user gambling qualify as victimless crimes. These crimes are called victimless crimes because they are not committed against any specific person or property.
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White Collar Crimes:
These are crimes like embezzlement, tax evasion, insider trading, or other crimes that violate income tax laws. Usually, such crimes do not attract too much public attention. However, white-collared crimes have a greater impact on society.
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Organized Crimes:
These crimes are committed by organized groups. For instance in crimes like the distribution of drugs or illegal weapons are classic examples of organized crime with a network working on specific activities.
Any of the above crimes are punishable in the US court of law. Therefore, it is recommended that you hire a criminal defense attorney who can fight in the court of law so that the victim gets whatever he deserves.
Although most criminal attorneys understand aspects of the different types of crimes and address them, it is better to engage a lawyer who has experience in solving cases that involve similar crimes.
When a crime is reported to the local police authorities, they investigate the case and identify individuals responsible for committing the crime. The accused are summoned for questioning. However, the accused have the right not to answer the questions if they so wish. They can hire a criminal lawyer who can suggest how to answer the questions.
The public prosecutor represents the government in a criminal case and presents the case against the accused to prove him guilty in front of a Judge and the grand jury.
The criminal defense attorney is required to prove that the defendant is not guilty of the crime.
According to the American legal system, the onus is on the public prosecutors to prove the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. He tries to prove the guilt of the defendant with the help of evidence collected that incriminates the defendant. He can also summon witnesses to support his case.
The criminal defense lawyer represents the defendant can cross-question the witnesses to prove the innocence of the defendant.
It is the jury that gives a verdict of guilty or not guilty after listening to both lawyers. The legal aspects of the evidence produced etc. are assessed by the Judge who also ensures that the verdict of the jury adheres to legal norms.
Autrey Law Firm is a leading law firm in Minnesota and North Dakota. We have a team of criminal defense attorneys who can represent defendants in any type of lawsuit.