Civics. Chapter 16: Citizenship and the Law

Transcription

1 Civics Chapter 16: Citizenship and the Law

2 Types of Crime A crime is any act that breaks the law and for which a punishment has been established A criminal is a person who commits any type of crime Felonies are serious crimes, such as homicide or kidnapping Misdemeanors are less serious offenses, such as traffic violations

3 Crimes Against Persons Crimes against persons are violent crimes Include acts that harm a person, end a person s life, or threaten to do so Homicide is the most serious of these crimes Homicide is the killing of one person by another person From 1995 to 2000, an average of 17,000 homicides were committed in the U.S. each year

4 Crimes Against Persons Hate crimes are violent crimes committed against people because of particular prejudices Aggravated assault is the most common violent crime Aggravated assault is any kind of physical injury that is done intentionally to another person Forcible rape is the sexual violation of a person by force against the person s will

5 Crimes Against Property Burglary is the forcible or illegal entry into someone s home or other property with the intention to steal 2 million burglaries reported annually Larceny is the theft of property without the use of force or violence against another person Petty larceny is a theft of goods valued under a certain amount Grand larceny is the theft of goods worth more than a certain amount of money

6 Crimes Against Property Theft of automobiles is a serious national problem About 1.2 Million cars stolen annually Robbery is a crime that involves both property and persons Vandalism is the willful destruction of property Arson is the destruction of property by setting fire to it

7 Victimless Crimes Victimless crimes are crimes where the criminal does not violate another person s rights Gambling and use of illegal drugs are examples of this These crimes mainly harm law breaker themselves

8 White Collar Crimes Crimes committed by people in the course of their work Embezzlement is taking money taking money that has been entrusted to one s care for one s own use Fraud is cheating someone out of their money or property White collar crimes usually involve computers Can be as simple as stealing office supplies Hackers break into computer systems to commit electronic theft, fraud, and embezzlement

9 Organized Crime Some criminals don t act alone, they are apart of organized crime Often use threat of violence to keep people from reporting crime to police Organized crime members specialize in providing illegal goods and services 1. Gambling 2. Drug Trafficking 3. Prostitution 4. Loan Sharking

10 Determining the Crime Rate National statistics on crime are collected from local police departments and the FBI Even with all the research it is impossible to know how many crimes are committed each year Many crimes are undetected and not all crimes are reported to the police

11 4 Causes of Crime Poverty Many poor people live in overcrowded, rundown areas Sometimes are poorly educated and have unstable family lives Illegal Drug Use Drug use rates climb each year People who use illegal drugs often turn to other crimes to help support their habits Permissive Society Lack of parental guidance and spoiling children leads to crime Also say judges are too lenient to convicted criminals Urbanization More crimes are commited in cities than in rural areas As US became urbanized, crime rates jumped People under the age of 25 account for about half of all of those arrested in the US

12 Fighting Crime Congressed passed a new crime bill in 1994 which aimed to prevent crime and provide tougher penalties for all people who commit crime Strategies for this include Life sentences for three-time violent offenders Grants to build new prisons Grants to state and local communities to hire more police officers

13 The Criminal Justice System Section 2 page

14 Role of Police After police arrest a suspect, the person must be tried and if proven guilty, they must be punished Criminal justice system is the three part system of police, courts, and corrections used to bring criminals to justice

15 Training Police Officers Officers are carefully selected and trained Before being hired, their backgrounds are fully investigated Must pass physical and psychological examinations as well as aptitude, intelligence, and written tests Need at least a high school education, sometimes even have to be a college graduate New officers attend police academies

16 Police Patrols Some officers patrol on foot in certain areas Community Policing is when officers are encouraged to get to know the people who live and work in a neighborhood Other officers patrol areas in cars These cars utilize radios to send the officers to any part of the city when a crime is reported

17 From Arrest to Sentencing An officer must have probable cause to arrest a suspect Probable cause means that the officer must have witnessed the crime or have gathered enough evidence to make an arrest An arrest warrant may be needed if the suspect has not been seen committing the crime. Arrest warrants are an authorization by the court to make an arrest

18 From Arrest to Sentencing Preliminary Hearing Held no later than 10 days after arrest Judge must decide if they is enough evidence to send case to trial Judge also sets bail which corresponds with the severity of the crime Indictment This is where the formal charge is made In some states a grand jury hears the evidence and decides to send the case to trial or not Arraignment The accused person then appears before a judge for arraignment This is when the accused enters a plea of guilty or not guilty Trial If the accused pleads not guilty, the case goes to trial The defense represents the accused person s side of the case The prosecution is the government s side of the case The defendant is the accused person standing trial Sentencing If the defendant is found guilty, the judge decides the punishment, or sentence Usually the law sets a minimum and a maximum sentence pertaining to the crime

19 Plea Bargaining Many cases in the US never go to trial They are taken care of quickly by plea bargaining Plea Bargaining is when the accused person pleads guilty to a lesser offense than the original charge The penalty is lighter and no court costs occur

20 Punishing Lawbreakers The methods used to punish lawbreakers are called corrections (imprisonment, parole, or capital punishment) Imprisonment Some people view imprisonment as retribution or revenge Others see it as a deterrence to the crime. They believe the threat of a long prison term deters or discourages one from committing a crime A third view is that prison is used as a rehabilitation service. These people believe that prison is meant to reform criminals Parole Parole is an early release from prison. This comes about after inmates have served part of their sentence People are paroled on the condition that they obey certain rules and keep put of trouble Capital Punishment This is the harshest punishment for crimes committed in the US and is also referred to as the death penalty Some people believe it goes against the 8 th amendment and its protection against cruel and unusual punishment

21 Juvenile Crime Section 3 Pages

22 Defining Juvenile Crime Juvenile- a person under the age of 18 Some people set the age as low as 16 Juveniles become delinquents when they are found guilty of breaking the law Juveniles whose parents can not handle them or repeatedly run away from home may be termed unruly A young person who is repeatedly unruly may be turned over to the juvenile authorities

23 Causes of Juvenile Crime Poor Home Conditions Parents take little responsibility for their kids Parents could be alcoholics, drug abusers, or even child abusers Poor Neighborhood Conditions Poorer areas of cities often have higher rates of crime People who live crowded together in poverty often feel hopeless and angry. This forces many youngsters to try and take out their frustrations and such leading them into trouble Gang Membership Gang members are increasingly engaging in serious crimes Although the rate has dropped, many cities provide youth activities that will prevent juveniles from joining gangs

24 Causes of Juvenile Crime Dropping Out of School and Unemployment Young people who drop out of school and are unemployed are often at greater risk of becoming involve in criminal activities Alcohol and Drugs Laws forbid the sale of alcoholic beverages to those who are under a certain age. Laws also forbid the sale of habit-forming drugs to anyone who does not have a prescription from a doctor These drugs alter how people think and behave, making them do things they may not normally do Addicts who need money for their habit often turn to crime Peer Pressure Some people get into trouble because friends force them to do things It can be hard to say no to a friend but those who pressure others to break the law are not true friends

25 Handling Juvenile Crime Before the late 1800s, juveniles at least 7 years old were held responsible for their crimes In the 1870s reformers began to change the way young offenders were treated this led to juvenile court systems being established Purpose of the court systems was to remove children from harmful environments

26 Punishing Juvenile Offenders Young people can be held in juvenile detention centers when waiting for their court hearing If found guilty, several outcomes are possible Probation a period of time during which offenders are given an opportunity to show that they can reform. These people must abide by strict rules The juvenile justice system is also experimenting with boot camps to rehab young offenders. The goal of these camps is to help the young offenders gain positive values

27 Serious Crimes by Juveniles A young person who commits murder may serve a short sentence in a juvenile corrections facility Juveniles can also be certified to be tried in adult criminal courts. This happens with a youth is 14 or older and committed a felony In 2001 the number of youths under 18 in adult prisons had reached 5,400 (double the number from 10 years ago)

28 Steps You Can Take Do not use drugs Stay in school and get the best education possible Have the courage to say no when friends suggest illegal acts Try to live a full life, with plenty of physical activity and interesting hobbies