Criminal Law

Criminal Law

Criminal law is probably the most visible of all of the areas of law, in terms of application to daily life and public portrayal. Criminal law revolves around governmental prosecution of anyone who is purported to have committed a criminal act, as defined by public law. An act cannot be classified as a crime if no precedent has been set by either governmental statute or common law, and suits between two individuals or organizations are considered to be civil, rather than criminal cases. In order for the state to win a criminal case, they must prove "beyond all reasonable doubt" that a crime has been committed.