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Criminal Procedure Defined? The criminal procedure refers to the formal legal process for reviewing and adjudicating claims of which an individual is accused. The criminal procedure is initiated when an individual or an entity has been accused of violating some form of criminal law. When this occurs in the United States, the individual or entity will embark on the crimi..

PurposeThe abuse and addiction to drugs and substances has always been a concern for the United States Government. The Controlled Substances Act is an attempt to curtail the use and abuse of illicit drugs and substances, and the categorization of each is a means to control and regulate how the drugs and substances are dispensed and used. The inclusion of certain drugs or substa..

BackgroundExtortion is crime that is committed when someone intentionally threatens to do damage to another person unless the extortionist is given what they want. The damage that is threatened does not necessarily have to be of a violent nature. Although it is common to use violence as the threat, the extortionist could also threaten to ruin one's reputation by telling a secre..

What is the Penal Code? The penal code is a formal set of laws or codes established by a governing authority in a particular region, state, or jurisdiction. The penal code is a comprehensive list of crimes, their coordinating definitions, and the applicable punishments attached. Local jurisdictions, such as states, may develop and subsequently interpret their ow..

Manslaughter charges cover any criminal killings which are not considered murder. A killing which lacks premeditation or malice and occurs as the result of a heat of passion is considered manslaughter.BackgroundMurder charges require an actus reus and mens rea of the killer. These Latin terms mean "guilty act" and "guilty mind," respectively. The actus reus and mens rea must be..

In order for an individual to be convicted of a crime, many different elements of the crime must be satisfied. The most important of these elements is the actus reus. Actus reus is the action or behavior which constitutes a crime. It is the criminal activity that an offender has taken part in that has caused damage or injury to another person or to another person's property.&nb..

Burglary is a crime in which the perpetrator enters a structure without permission for the purposes of committing another crime. Burglary involves breaking and entering into a structure that is usually inhabited. The structure can be a home, business, boat, or other residence. In order to gain entry, the perpetrator enters illegally without permission. Entry may be gai..

Robbery cases involve theft in which victims are forced to comply due to threats of violence or actual violence. In other words, robbery cases involve contact between the perpetrator and the victim. In some cases, weapons are utilized to force victim compliance. In that case, the crime is armed robbery. ..

Whether or not a deceased person is a murder victim would appear to be a simple thing to determine. Presumably the primary deciding factor in determining if detectives are investigating murder cases would be the presence or lack of a murder victim, but the legal qualification for a crime's consideration as a murder case depends on several variables. In his Commentaries on ..

Non-criminal homicide covers a variety of circumstances which can result in the death of an individual. These homicides are not considered felonious incidents. A death can only be declared a non-criminal homicide after a thorough investigation to ensure that the event does not rise to the level of criminality.It is possible that a killing which initially appears to be a homicid..

Computer Viruses BackgroundComputer viruses are a common problem and can strike anyone who owns or operates a computer. A computer virus is harmful coding that usually stems from a particular kind of software that carries the virus. One of the most popular kinds of software prone to carry a computer virus is known as "malware" (meaning malicious software). The virus enters into..

Legal Context for AbductionThe criminal action of carrying out the abduction of another person might be designated as an illegal act under formal legal statutes under the alternate title of kidnapping. The U.S. laws relevant to acts of abduction primarily derive from the source of English Common Law.Due to the country’s origins in a group of colonies under the control of the ..

  Abner Louima   Abner Louima is the recipient of the largest police brutality settlement in the history of New York City. His case began in the early morning hours of August 9, 1997, when Abner Louima became involved in a fight between two women outside of a Brooklyn dance club. Two police officers were attempting to end the dispute.   ..

  Abul Manzoor Abul Manzoor was a member of the Bangladeshi military who was part of a group of rebels responsible for the assassination of Bangladeshi president Ziaur Rahman in 1981.   Abul Manzoor was a career military officer whose friendship with Ziaur Rahman dating back to 1971. At that time, both men were involved in the 9-month Liberation war..

In a criminal investigation there are two aspects of a crime that must be verified in order for an offender to be found guilty of the crime. In order for an individual to be held liable for committing a crime, both the actus reus and the mens rea must be established. ..