CRIMINAL LAW

We all should think long and hard about giving a brutal felon more mercy than a business or individual for an accident or mistaken policy. We can avoid this if we strike a balance between civil law and criminal law.

Evidence in criminal law is any item or testimony that assists in the proof of a prosecution or defense. It can be a weapon, a document, forensic samples or the testimony of a witness.

In some aspects of criminal law, you can commit a crime without ever lifting a finger. Conspiracy is the act of planning to commit a crime, which can actually be as punishable as the commission of the crime itself.

Because drug-related crimes continue to be a mounting issue in criminal law, any crime involving drugs is taken seriously by the U.S. judicial system.

Even with all of the entertainment media through which people can learn about criminal law, it remains something of a mystery to the average civilian. Unless you've been arrested on criminal charges, you might not know some of these facts.

Witnesses are invaluable to the courts because they provide information that is pertinent to determining the guilt or innocence of the defendant.

Ticket scalping refers to the act of selling entertainment tickets without a license to do so. Legally, only box offices and authorized dealers are allowed to sell tickets.

DNA evidence is used in the investigation of violent crimes where fluids (blood, semen or saliva) are present on or around the crime scene. DNA can also be extracted from hair follicles and sometimes from mucus membranes.

Vehicle accidents can be devestating to begin with, but when drugs or alcohol are involved, it becomes another matter entirely. DUI accidents are prosecuted heavily by U.S. courts, and the punishments are severe.