Two Degrees of Murder
Essay Preview: Two Degrees of Murder
Report this essay
A crime is an act against the public good, punishable by a fine, imprisonment, or both. There are two major classifications of crime. The first classification of crime is a felony. A felony is a major crime punishable by imprisonment or death. Murder, manslaughter, burglary, robbery, and arson are examples of felonies. The second major classification of a crime is a misdemeanor. A misdemeanor is a less serious crime with a less severe penalty. Misdemeanors that arent as serious are known as petty offenses. Driving an automobile with a license, lying about your age to purchase alcohol, and leaving the scene of an automobile accident are all examples of misdemeanors.
Crimes are defined by two elements. The first element is the criminal act. Every law that defines a crime must specifically explain the conduct that is forbidden by that law. The criminal act must also involve voluntary conduct. The second element is the required state of mind. The required state of mind is specified in the law that defines the crime. In this statue the mental state of mind is required.
There are many different crimes that are against people. Murder is the unlawful killing of another human being. There are two degrees of murder. To be charged with the first degree of murder you must kill some one with premeditation, you use cruel torture in killing someone, and you kill someone while acting out a felony.
The second degree of murder is known as manslaughter. There are two types of manslaughter, voluntary and involuntary manslaughter. Voluntary manslaughter is when you kill someone because of a reaction. Involuntary manslaughter occurs when you kill someone in a reckless act such as drunk driving.
There are crimes against business interests such as larceny by false pretenses, forgery, bribery, and extortion. These crimes are known as white-collar crimes and usually involve fraud and are nonviolent. The act of taking someones money or property by intentionally deceiving that person is known as larceny by false pretenses.
Forgery is the false making or changing of writing with the intent to defraud. The signing of another persons name without authority to check or other document is known as forgery also. In order for a crime to take place there must be intent to defraud or deceive.
Bribery is the illegal paying of public officials in order to influence their official authority or