Criminal activities are things such as, robbery, murder, fraud, theft and assault, among other things. Criminal law differs from civil law in court proceedings. In civil law, the burden of proof falls on the plaintiff. But in criminal law, the burden of proof falls on the defendant. Also in criminal law, it requires that the judge or jury is without any doubt sure of a guilty verdict.
Criminal law is comprised of mainly three types of cases: misdemeanors, felonies, and treason. Of the three types of cases, misdemeanors are the least offenses. Misdemeanors are typically punishable by assessing fines, but there are some more serious misdemeanors that can be punishable by receiving jail time which is usually less than a year. Of the three types of cases, felonies are the most serious forms of criminal cases. These crimes are punishable by severe penalties such as lengthy prison sentences in federal or state prisons. These jail sentences can range anywhere from one year to a life sentence or ultimately a death sentence. Felony crimes include things such as assault, drug crimes, and white collar crimes. The more serious felonies include crimes against persons such as murder. Felonies involving murder are usually the crimes that are eligible for the death penalty depending on the facts in the case. The last type of criminal case is treason. Treason can be any violation against your country. …show more content…
Its origins and model is to be found in the monumental compilation of Roman law commissioned by the Emperor Justinian in the sixth century CE.” Civil law may have two contrasting legal approaches, but it covers offenses against other individuals. The first approach can help resolve non-criminal offenses in a civil way. Civil law can include things such as divorce, child custody cases or child support disputes. It can also be used to settle disputes where damages are at issue. Civil law can also refer to the civil legal system. According to Wiesgeek, “Countries that have adopted civil legal systems generally rely on laws or codes that have been written down and formally codified. Typically, they do not rely on customs or turn case decisions into legal precedent. With a civil legal system, courts simply apply the principles outlined in statutes when rendering a