Categories of Criminal Charges

Any act identified as an offense against criminal and penal law may lead to a trial by the administrative authority of the state or country. Statutory laws deal with crimes and prosecutions of criminal activities. Four theories that govern criminal justice are deterrence, punishment, rehabilitation and incapacitation. The legal authority of the country believes that by meting out punishment for a crime, society will not only be able to attain justice but a peaceful social order can also be maintained in the process.

Criminal charges can be classified as felonies or misdemeanors, and can include the following: arson, child pornography, bribery, battery,  burglary, child abuse,  use of controlled substances, computer crimes,fraud cases involving credit cards, narcotics and drugs, criminal defense, DUI/DWI, fraud cases, embezzlement, expungements, homicides, felonies, identity theft, manslaughter, Internet and cyberspace crime, perjury, murder, money laundering, rape, prostitution, robbery, sex crimes, theft, shoplifting, use of weapons without valid permits, white collar crime, white collar fraud, and other related crimes.

Categories of Criminal Charges

There are various categories and different sections of the criminal law in the U.S. and sections and subdivisions deal with each of the crimes. The criminal justice system is a cohesive unit of the government and its main goal is to improve the criminal justice system and to serve its members. Bureau of Justice Statistics is the department that has been given the power to analyze, collect, and distribute details of information on criminal offenders, and the crimes committed, to the victims of the crime for a systematic operation of the judicial system.

The data given by the Bureau are essential for local, state, and federal law enforcement units and policymakers to fight crime as well as to make sure that justice is served. Title 18 deals with crimes and criminal procedures of the United States Code. It is a body of edicts and other important laws that define conduct which is deemed illegal by the authorities because it will endanger the safety and welfare of the public. It also provides punishments that can be imposed on those who go against these laws of the community.

The FBI

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is set up with the prime aim to protect citizens from any threat that can endanger their safety. These issues generate mainly from domestic and international terror and spies on U.S. soil, and from cyber criminals who try to distort or damage the records that are available with the government. Child predators and serial killers are also a threat to society.

The National Center for Victims of Crime

National Center for Victims of Crime works round the clock to make sure that the victims of crime get the required information and help that they require. National Criminal Justice Reference Service or NCJRS is a special division of the government that offers information on substance abuse and justice for the support of policy, research and the development of programs, worldwide.

The Office for Victims of Crime or OVC is a federally funded resource and was first established in 1984 by the Victims of Crime Act or VOCA to provide varied programs to help the people effected by crimes. OVC provides substantial monetary funding to the victim’s assistance and compensation programs.

The Department of Justice

The United States Department of Justice is vested with the prime function of enforcing the law and defending the interests of the country to make sure that public safety is met at all cost against both internal and external threats. It acts as a federal leader in controlling and preventing criminal activities. This department also ensures that the justice meted out is just and impartial for all the people of America.

Crime Data

Crime data is collected from four major sources: law enforcement agency reports of crime, from the FBI and processed annually by the UCR, and crime victim reports collected twice in a year by the Bureau of Justice Statistics and processed annually in the NCVS or the National Crime Victimization Survey, and from self report surveys.

The UCR is the primary source of data that is used in the calculation of official statistics, mainly serious crimes like murder and homicide. The UCR gets an additional boost to its reports from the information provided by the NCVS and other studies. The self report studies are the best tools to acquire crime rates for petty offenses such as theft and illegal substance abuse.

Drug Abuse

Drug abuse is considered to be serious crime in the U.S. Drugs like cocaine, amphetamines, barbiturates, methaqualone, and opium alkaloids are banned by the law. If you are using any of these drugs it can lead you to criminal penalties with possible side effects like physical or mental damage and the person can be socially isolated. The extent of punishment depends on the local jurisdiction which varies from state to state.

Criminal Homicide

Criminal homicide implies the act of killing a human being. The most common type criminal homicide is murder. Murder can lead to capital punishment which is decided by the state laws and acts. Killing during war is not part of criminal prosecution. Law enforcement agencies like the police department have been given relief to certain extent and criminal homicide does not lead to prosecution.

Theft

Theft signifies the act of stealing something without the consent of the owner of the substance or property. Theft can be broadly categorized as burglary, larceny, embezzlement, robbery, shoplifting, fraud etc. Larceny is considered as a primary offense by the government of United States and it is a common synonym to theft.

Assault and Rape

Rape falls under the category of sexual assault and it is described as an assault by a person indulging in sexual intercourse without the consent of the victim. Rape and sexual slavery are regarded as crimes of the highest order and often rated as crimes against humanity. Assault and rape are serious criminal offenses and the government prohibits it. A person who is guilty of this kind of crime is subjected to serious punishments as stated in the criminal procedure.

You can visit Bureau of Justice and Statistics for more information about criminal charges at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/.