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Criminal Law Explained Essay

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1) Introductory paragraph Society has put many factors on itself to govern the people in hopes of maintaining peace and keeping order and fairness. Society in the United States tries to maintain peace and keeping order by writing laws and enforcing them by police and other governing agencies and also ensuring a fair process for those accused.
2) What is the difference between a crime and non-criminal wrong? Crimes are labeled by our government to list what citizens have to obey, such as paying taxes and obviously killing and stealing are not permitted. The intent of these laws is to speak on the behalf of the people who live in the country or state. This means they are out to protect the people from the listed crimes. However, the …show more content…

Ordinances such as these are passed by town halls to reduce a problem that is present in that town. States can pass criminal laws, for example, if a state wanted to make carrying a certain drug in any quantity illegal, they can do that even if the federal law says it is not a felony. The major writer of criminal laws is Congress as they will pass or deny laws that govern the United States as a whole.
4) What are the five sources of criminal law? The 5 sources of criminal law are: Common law crimes, State Criminal Codes, The Model Penal Code, Municipal Ordinances, and Administrative Agency Crimes. Common law crimes are crimes that have been defined before legislature was even formed and are based on community values and customs. State Criminal Codes are laws that were common laws but elected legislature has been called to remove the law. Examples of these would be laws against witchcraft and certain harsh punishments. The Model Penal Code is a proposed criminal code drafted to remove common law crimes such as witchcraft and stoning as punishments. Municipal Ordinances are passed by cities or towns to protect those people in the town or city, such laws can be a zero tolerance for drugs. Administrative Agency Crimes are laws created by the government to make sure people follow rules such as filing tax returns with the IRS.
5) What is the presumption of innocence? The presumption of innocence is a concept where a person is found

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