1. Crimes Against the Person
Crimes against the person include homicide, kidnapping, assault, battery, robbery, and rape
The law protects the defendant from overly harsh penalties by defining various levels of some of these crimes & by considering the circumstance of each offense

2. Homicide: the killing of one human being by another
The most serious of all crimes against the person
Homicides may be either criminal or non- criminal
Criminal homicide is committed with intent or a plan
It also considered criminal homicide if a person’s reckless actions, without regard to human life, result in the killing of another person

3. Noncriminal homicide can be classified as either “excusable” or “justifiable” and is not subject to criminal charges

4. Murder is the most serious form of criminal homicide.
To be convicted of murder there must be “malice”
Malice: ill will; deliberate intent to harm
There was a time where there were no degrees of murder
To reduce the punishment for less-grievous homicides, most states now have statues that classify murder according to the killer’s state of mind or circumstances surrounding the crime

5. First-degree murder: Killing that is premeditated (thought about beforehand), deliberate and done with malice
Felony Murder: any killing that takes place while committing another serious felony (arson, rape, robbery, or burglary)
Intent does not matter. Malice is presumed because the homicide occurred during a felony, even if it was accidental

6. Second-degree murder: Killing that is done with malice, but without premeditation
The intent to kill does not exist until the moment of the murder.
The punishment is not as severe as first-degree murder

7. Voluntary manslaughter: Killing that would otherwise be seen as murder but that occurs after the victim has done something to the killer that would cause a reasonable person to lose self-control

8. Involuntary manslaughter: killing without intent that results from reckless behavior

9. Kidnapping: Taking away a person against the person’s will
Also known as unlawful imprisonment or abduction
When the victim is taken across state lines, this act also violates federal criminal law

10. Assault & Battery
Assault: any attempt or threat to carry out a physical attack on another person
Battery: any unlawful physical contact inflicted on someone without their consent
Actually injury is not necessary to get convicted of battery
The only requirement is that the person must have intended to do bodily harm
Today there is not much difference in the law between assault and battery

11. Just like there are degrees of murder, there are also different classifications for assault and battery
Many states have separate statutes for assault with intent to rob and assault with intent to murder

12. Stalking
Stalking: The act of following or harassing another person, causing fear of death or injury
Women are the targets of most stalking cases
To deal with this problem, most states now have anti-stalking laws

13. Bullying is sometimes seen a “gateway behavior”
Bullying: a version of assault & battery in which peers or acquaintances intimidate or put others in fear
Bullying is sometimes seen a “gateway behavior”
In one study, nearly 60% of boys whom researches identified as bullies in grade 6-9 had been convicted of at least on crime by the age of 24

14. Rape & Sexual Assault
Sexual assault is a specific kind of assault that can include rape or attempted rape
It can include a wide range of victimizations from verbal threats of a sexual nature to unwanted sexual contact
Like assault & battery, sexual assault can be an attack that is either completed or attempted

15. Rape: sexual penetration without consent
Aggravated rape occurs when the perpetrator uses a weapon or some other form of force to complete the assault
Statutory rape: intercourse with someone under the legal age of consent
The legal age of consent varies from state to state

16. In the past, defendants in rape cases were allowed to present evidence to the jury about the victim’s past sexual behavior and reputation in order to show that he or she had probably consented to the act.
Most states have passed “rape shield” laws which prohibit the use of that type of evidence
To convict a person of rape, many states require conformation of the account provided by the victim, including testimony of a witness, a doctor’s report that sexual intercourse took place, or a police report

17. Acquaintance rape (AKA “date rape”): sexual assault by someone known to the victim, such as a date or neighbor

18. Crimes Against Property
Crimes against property are crimes in which property is destroyed and in which property is taken against eh will of the owner
Arson: The willful & malicious burning of a person’s property
In most states it is a crime to burn property that someone owns

19. Vandalism: The willful destruction of, or damage to, the property of another
It includes breaking windows, tearing down fences, and graffiti among other things
Depending on the extent of the damage, vandalism can be either a felony or a misdemeanor

20. Larceny: The taking away of the property of another person against his or her will
In most states, larceny is divided into two classes –grand & petty
Grand larceny involves theft of anything above a certain value, sometimes over 100, & is a felony
Petty larceny involves theft of anything below a certain value, sometimes less than 100, & is a misdemeanor

21. Robbery: The taking of property from a person's immediate possession by force or intimidation
It is both a crime against property and a crime against the person
Burglary: The unauthorized entry into any structure with the intent to commit a crime

22. Larceny also includes keeping lost property when a reasonable method exists for finding the owner.
Ex. If you find a wallet that contains the ID of its owner but nevertheless decide to keep it, you have committed larceny.
Likewise, you may be convicted of larceny is you keep something that was delivered to you by mistake

23. Embezzlement: The taking of property by someone to whom it was entrusted
Ex. A bank teller who takes money from the cash drawer or a stockbroker who takes money that should have been invested are both guilty of embezzlement TA

24. Extortion: The use of threats to obtain the property of another
Extortion statutes generally cover threats to do physical harm, destroy property, or injure someone’s character or reputation U

25. Forgery: A crime in which a person falsely makes or alters a writing of document with the intent to defraud

26. Receiving stolen property is also a crime agains property
Receiving stolen propter: receiving or buying property that is known or reasonably believed to be stolen
Knowledge that the property is stolen may be implied by the circumstances
Ex. Buying goods out of the trunk of a car or for a price that is unreasonably low

27. Carjacking: The taking of someone else’s car by force or intimidation