Law Ch. 1, 2

Criminal laws

-regulate public conduct and have penalties such as, imprisonment, fines, or court supervision. -brought by the government against the defendend

Civil laws

-regulate relations between individuals -brought by the person harmed against the defendent

Reservations

A legal way of making a provision less enforceable than it might otherwise be.

Agencies

Develop regulations

Sources of law

Laws are based on moral, economic, political, or social values.

Defendent

The person accused of committing the crime

Plaintiff

The person harmed

Why do we have laws?

Without laws, there would be disorder and confusion. They intend to protect people and resolve conflicts in every day life.

Civil action

a lawsuit that is brought by a person who feels wronged or injured by another person

state legislatures

between state and federal government, has broader power to legislate

precedents

court decisions establishing legal principles

checks and balances

each branch has a power to restrain the other branches.

ordinances

law made by local governments

statutes

laws made by legislatures

extradition

one government asks another to hand over a suspected or convicted criminal.

federalism

powers are reserved for the states

drafting

process of writing the actual language of a bill

Bills

proposed laws

supremacy clause

provision that requires that the U.S. Constitution and federal laws are a higher authority than state laws

What is law?

rules and regulations made and enforced by government that regulate the conduct of people within a society.

legislative intent

the purpose for which a statute is enacted