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Criminal law is the area of law dealing with
those accused with crimes. Crimes are acts against
individuals or other entities that are so severe
that the offense is considered also an offense
against society. It is therefore considered an
offense against the state or government and
defendants are prosecuted and punished by the state
or federal government.
Criminal penalties serve as a deterrent against
others from committing the same crime and to seek
justice for victims of crimes. Criminal
penalties can include, fines, probation, incarceration
and even death. Defendants found guilty of
violating a criminal statute may also be sued in civil
court by their victims for damages.
Types of offenses that are considered criminal
include, murder, attempted murder, rape, theft or
larceny, embezzlement, vandalism, robbery and many
other violent and non-violent offenses against people
and society.
Criminal law is said to deal with regulating the
behavior of individuals and groups to conform to the
norms of society, whereas civil law deals with the
relationships between private parties and their rights
and obligations to one another. One finds many
areas of law where the difference between criminal and
civil liability is often blurred.
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