CRIMES
The law of crimes pertains to offense against the State. All crimes against the United Stated are statutory in character : they are either enumerated and defined by Congressional State, moreover, define the various crimes and prescribe the punishment for each.
Crimes include treason, felonies, and misdemeanors. The Federal Constitution provides that treason against the United Stated “shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort”.
Apart from treason, all over crimes are either felonies or misdemeanors, State Status, for the most parts, declare wheter or not only particular offense shall be considered a felony or a misdemeanor.
The distinction most commonly given is that all crimes punishable by death penalty or by imprisonment in the state prison are felonies and all other crimes are misdemeanors.
The statutory definitions of crimes are not uniform. A felony however, implies a crime of a graver or more atrocious nature than crimes designated as misdemeanors. Offense such as murder, arson, and grand larceny are commonly classified as felonies. Offense such as drunkeness, disorderly conduct and assault are commonly classified as misdemeanors.
