A very brief lesson on
criminal and civil law
The story of the bank robbery…
Carlos and Jason plan to rob the
First National Bank. They
need the money to pay their
bills. They do not want to
injure anyone so Jason gets a
high-powered water gun. He
plans to keep the gun in his
coat so that its shape will
frighten the bank teller.
Carlos volunteers to drive
the getaway car, a new yellow
Ford truck. They plan the
robbery at a time when the
bank has few customers.
Just before leaving to rob the
bank, Jason gets a call from
his girlfriend, Kathy. Now
they are late. Carlos makes
up for lost time by speeding
and running red lights.
Unfortunately, they hit a woman
in a crosswalk and don’t stop
to help her. The woman later
dies.
At the bank, Jason notices that
the water gun has leaked,
soaking the front of his coat.
They consider calling off the
robbery but decide to go
ahead. Everything goes
smoothly until the teller sets
off the alarm as Jason runs
from the bank.
More bank robbery story…
Thinking quickly, Carlos and Jason leave their
car and jump into a new Corvette. (The owner
carelessly left the keys in the car.) They
leave town and later sell the Corvette to
Honest Harvey’s Used Car Sales for $1,000.
without a title.
With the water gun and the money from the
bank robbery, Carlos and Jason walk toward
Kathy’s house. As they cross the street, they
ignore a “Dont’ Walk” sign. A police officer
stops them, sees the money and the gun, and
arrests them.
Name that crime…
1.
plan to rob the 1st National Bank:
conspiracy
2. volunteers to drive the getaway car:
bank robbery
3. speeding and running stop lights:
traffic violations
4. hit a woman in a crosswalk (The woman later dies.):
negligent homicide
5. don’t stop to help:
hit and run
6. armed robbery:
bank robbery
More name that crime…
7. jump behind the wheel of a new Corvette:
auto theft
8. owner left the keys in the car:
ticket to car owner perhaps
9. sell the car:
selling stolen goods
10. Honest Harvey doesn’t get the title to the car:
receiving stolen property
11. ignore a “Don’t Walk” sign:
jaywalking
Felonies and misdemeanors
• There are two groups of crimes. They are
felonies and misdemeanors. A felony is more
serious than a misdemeanor. A felony is a
crime punishable by one year or more in
prison. Some felonies may be punishable by
death. Carjacking, murder, rape, and drug
dealing are all felonies. People convicted of a
felony will lose certain rights. They may lose
the right to vote and the right to serve on a
jury. They cannot join any military service.
Also, convicted felons may not work as
doctors, lawyers, or teachers.
Misdemeanors:
• Misdemeanors are less serious crimes. A
misdemeanor is a crime for which the
punishment may be less than one year in
prison. People convicted of misdemeanors will
not lose their rights, as do convicted felons.
Simple assault, shoplifting something that
costs less than $100., and hitting someone
with your fist are misdemeanors. Minor
traffic violations are not misdemeanors or
crimes, although they are punishable by law.
Felonies and misdemeanors –
some reasons for the distinction
• Some reasons for listing certain crimes
as misdemeanors:
– No one is seriously hurt, or the victim will
easily recover.
– The crime only involved property damage
and it won’t cost much to repair.
– The person committing the crime is only
hurting herself or himself. He or she is the
only victim of the illegal behavior.
Some reasons for listing certain
crimes as felonies:
• A person is seriously hurt or killed and the
damage is long lasting or permanent. (the
victim will not recover easily or may never
recover).
• Property is damaged, but cannot be replaced
or is very expensive to replace.
• The person committing the crime hurts
others or causes others to get hurt.
• If everyone commits the crime, the
government won’t work.
felony vs. misdemeanor
Decide if you think the following crime is a felony or a
misdemeanor:
• stealing a parked car: misdemeanor
• spray painting the doors of a school: misdemeanor
• selling a small amount of crack cocaine: felony
• buying a small amount of crack cocaine: misdemeanor
• cheating on your tax return so you get back $500
instead of paying $200: misdemeanor
• shoplifting a pair of jeans: misdemeanor
• shooting the person who killed your brother: felony
• driving while you are drunk: felony
Crimes against persons:
• homicide (two types)
– murder: intentionally or knowingly kill
someone
– manslaughter: unintentionally kill someone
(accident)
More crimes against persons:
• assault
– act of violence, or threatened act of
violence; assault can occur even though no
physical injury occurs
• example: drunk bar customer grabs a broom and
threatens the bartender; someone gets angry
and punches a guy in the arm
• aggravated assault
– use of a deadly weapon and serious injury occurs
– If the victim of assault is a peace officer, then it is
aggravated assault.
Crimes against property
• arson – a person commits arson when
she or he
– starts a fire OR
– causes an explosion that he or she intends
to damage a building or property