Kinds of Laws (Chapter 1 pgs 13-14)
Jurisprudence - Study of Law
Law - Rules and regulations made and enforced by
government that regulate the conduct of people within a
society.
Laws fall into 2 major groups: Criminal and Civil (criminal
deals with punishment civil deals with money)
-Criminal Laws the branch of law dealing with crimes and
their punishments
-Felonies a serious criminal offense punishable by a
prison sentence more than one year (criminal charge)
-Misdemeanors a criminal offence, less serious than a
felony, punishable by a prison sentence of one year or
less (criminal charge)
-Civil Laws a law that does not involve criminal matters,
such as tort and contract law. Civil law usually usually
deals with private rights of individuals, groups, or
businesses
-Civil Action a non criminal lawsuit, brought to enforce a
right or redress a wrong
-Defendant a person against whom a claim is made. In a
civil suit, the defendant is the person being sued; in a
criminal case, the defendant is the person charged with
committing the crime
-Plaintiff in a civil case, the injured party, who brings legal
action against the alleged wrongdoer
-Prosecutor the state of federal government's attorney in
a criminal case
-Beyond a reasonable doubt the level of proof required
to convict a person...
