Criminal Law Basics

Criminal Law is the name given to the branch of law that governs an individual's relationship to the state. It includes the definitions of criminal offenses, which are usually established by Congress or state legislatures. The term "criminal law" also encompasses the rights of an accused and the criminal process, including arrest, arraignment, grand juries, pleas, discovery, pretrial hearings, trials, jury selection, evidence, motions, and posttrial remedies. The main purpose of the criminal law is to set forth the punishment for criminal offenses. In order to prove any crime, no matter how serious, the prosecutor must prove that the accused committed a guilty act with a guilty mind beyond a reasonable doubt. Please read on to find a criminal defense attorney, criminal lawyer, criminal attorney or to learn more about criminal law.

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Criminal Law Basic Articles
State Specific Resources
-  State Criminal Codes & Statutes-  State Crime Victim Assistance Websites
-  Criminal Process in Your State
 
Articles
-  Crime and Criminal Law Basics-  The Criminal Justice Process
-  Megan's Law & Sex Offender Registry-  Prisoner's Rights
-  Bail Bonds-  Osborne: Due Process & DNA Tests after Conviction
-  Punishment of Crime-  Public Defenders
-  Restraining Orders-  Assault and Battery
-  Forensic Evidence Labs Are under the Microscope-  Closing the Courtroom to the Public
-  Defendant's Right to a Speedy Trial-  Getting Ready for a Criminal Trial: Pretrial Motions
-  Breaking Plea Agreements or Bargains-  Reasons for Rejecting Potential Jurors
-  Trial by Jury: Selecting Diverse Jury Pools-  Are Verdicts All or Nothing? Inconsistent Verdicts
-  Excluding Jurors: Removing and Disqualifying-  Sharing a Criminal Lawyer: Joint Representation
-  Release on Recognizance - A Promise to Appear-  Partial Verdicts and Breaking Down the Criminal Case
-  Representing Yourself in a Criminal Case-  Using Special Verdicts & Answering Exact Questions
-  Changing Lawyers: Substitution and Withdrawal-  Waiving Your Right to Counsel in Criminal Cases
-  Keeping Law and Order: The Prosecutor-  Delaying or Getting a Continuance in a Criminal Case
-  Disqualifying a Judge from a Criminal Case-  Getting Property Back after an Arrest
-  Will the Supreme Court Expand the Miranda Rights?-  Pornography, Obscenity and the Law
 
Criminal Law Basics FAQs
-  Criminal Law: Crime Definition FAQs-  Criminal Law: Appeals FAQs
-  Criminal Law: Arrest and Evidence FAQ-  Criminal Law: Procedure FAQ
-  Criminal Law: Expungement FAQ-  Criminal Law: Defenses FAQ
 
Lawyers.comsm Virtual Community
Legal Forums
-  Crimnal Law-  Traffic Citations
 
Chats
-  Chat Listing
 
Hiring a Criminal Lawyer
-  Criminal: Meeting with a Lawyer-  Criminal: Preparing to Meet with a Lawyer
-  Criminal Law: Selecting a Good Lawyer
 
Related Topics on Lawyers.comsm
-  Criminal-  DUI DWI
-  Parole and Probation
 

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