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.