Criminal law, unlike civil law, involves crime. Although there are specific differences between the two, the ordinary “man in the street” actually knows more about criminal law than civil law, thanks to the often sensationalist reporting of famous, or more likely infamous criminal trials. Then there are the novelists and authors who specialize in writing crime novels, criminal law is actually portrayed as being exciting and even rather romantic . . . the reality is often very different, although the life of a criminal law defense attorney is anything but boring.

What is Criminal Law

Criminal law must involve a crime. Serious crimes like rape, murder, manslaughter, burglary, arson, robbery and assaults with weapons are called felonies, crimes which are not quite so serious are called misdemeanors – stuff like traffic violations. If you attempt to commit a crime then you are committing a crime, if you are with somebody else who is committing a crime, even if you are not committing the crime yourself, in criminal law you are guilty of a crime.

If you’re insane you are not capable of committing a crime, well, you are of course capable of committing a crime but in criminal law you are not held responsible for that crime. Before you get excited, however, insanity does not include drunkenness or being out of your head cos you’ve been smoking something! Depending on the state where you live, young people below the age of 15 or 16 years cannot commit a crime either, it’s called juvenile delinquency which isn’t a crime so isn’t dealt with by criminal law.

If you commit a crime or get tangled up in some criminal law investigation then you’re gonna need a specialized criminal law company, the best you can find, such as Rawlings Criminal Law and you can check their company profile on LocalSearch, your life and your freedom may depend upon it.