State laws historically did not impose significant penalties for mistreating animals, but this is starting to change. Publicity regarding the abuse of dogs and other animals has led to more comprehensive laws and harsher penalties. Animal cruelty or ...
Trespassing can have both civil and criminal consequences. A property owner may be able to sue someone who enters their land without permission. Meanwhile, the trespasser also may face charges. The prosecutor would need to prove that the defendant in...
Computer crime, or “cybercrime,” is a broad category of offenses involving computers and computer networks. While many acts of cybercrime are essentially high-tech forms of theft or fraud, some have goals other than financial gain. These might includ...
Extremely offensive behavior that would be likely to disturb other people may be charged as disorderly conduct, or as disturbing the peace. Perhaps the most common example of disorderly conduct is public intoxication. This crime may be combined with ...
Evading or eluding the police can be charged when someone intentionally flees the scene despite a police officer ordering them to stop. Sometimes it can be charged as a type of resisting or obstructing the police. Fleeing the scene may not need to oc...
In the American criminal justice system, most prosecutions occur at the state level in municipal or county courts. The federal government exercises jurisdiction over criminal matters when the states lack jurisdiction, including areas specifically res...
Sexual relations between family members who are not spouses, formally known as incest, is illegal across the U.S. because of the harm that it can cause to family relationships. States also recognize that children from incestuous relationships tend to...
The term “probation” refers to a variety of alternatives to incarceration. It is also known as “community supervision” or “suspended sentencing” in some circumstances. Probation is common for many first offenders and juvenile criminals . If the defen...
