

Criminal law refers to the statutory and judicial scheme that establishes what ‘punishable conduct’ is proscribed by the government, typically because the conduct interferes with the public order, safety or welfare. Substantive criminal law defines the elements of proscribed conduct (crimes) and the punishments for violations thereof. The process for enforcing criminal law (investigation, arrest, arraignment, etc) is known as criminal procedure. Criminal prosecutions are bought by the government. Crimes are generally categorized as either misdemeanors or felonies. Misdemeanors are typically proscribed conduct for which the law imposes punishment of no more than one year imprisonment. Lesser offenses are often called violations, such as parking infractions. On the other hand, felonies are typically proscribed conduct punishable by imprisonment of more than one year or by death. Criminal law varies significantly by jurisdiction.
For individuals charged with a crime, the decision on whether he or she will win their criminal defense case will depend in part on the evidence that the prosecution has gathered against them. Mounting a defense against criminal charges is not something that should typically attempted without the advice of a skilled cr..