2.  Laws- a set of rules that allow people to live together

3.  Laws do EVERYTHING!  Laws govern (Examples) 1. How we drive our cars 2. The safety of the food we eat 3. Our business transactions 4. What happens when we are born and what happens when we die

4.  Criminal Law  Civil Law

5.  CRIMINAL LAW FUNCTIONS  Laws main purpose is to protect us from one another.  To maintain peace and prevent violent acts  Provides punishment/justice for those individuals who step outside the realm of the law.

6.  CIVIL LAW FUNCTIONS  Resolution to disputes among people  Disagreements on issues such as 1. Money 2. Property 3. Contracts

7.  Laws should be reasonable  Laws should be understandable (so people don’t accidently violate them not knowingly)  Good laws are enforceable

8.  Good laws are by design to be fair and beneficial.  A good way to determine this is if people in similar circumstances' are able to be treated equally. (Think Precedent)  Example: Traffic Fines (work the same way for every violator)

9.  North Carolina State Law  If a man and a woman who aren’t married go to a hotel/motel and register themselves as married then, according to state law, they are legally married.  It is illegal to sneeze on city streets - Ashville, NC  Some laws are clearly silly.  Source: http://www.stupidlaws.com/if-a-man-and-a-woman-who-arent-married-go-to-a-hotelmotel-http://www.stupidlaws.com/if-a-man-and-a-woman-who-arent-married-go-to-a-hotelmotel-  and-register-themselves-as-married-then-according-to-state-law-they-are-legally-married/