Ignorance of the law excuses no one,but what kind of acts constitutes a Crime ? When do you need to consult a Las Vegas criminal defense lawyer to defend your case and what are the things you need to know about crimes?
Definition
A crime happens when somebody breaks the law by neglect, an overt act, or by omission that may result into an issued punishment. You can be charged with a criminal offense if you have violated the law whether you did it intentionally or not.
Two Major Categories of Crime
Crime can be categorized into two: property and violent crime.
Property crime happens when somebody steals, damages, or destroys another one’s property. Stealing a car, breaking into a house, and vandalizing a government or a private property are the best examples of this.
Violent crimes happen when a person harms, attempts to or threatens to harm another human. Conspiring to harm another person is also considered as a violent crime. Offenses considered as violent crimes are those that involve the threat of force and the use of it like in a homicide case, a robbery, or sexual assault.
On the other hand, crimes can be categorized both as a property crime and at the same time a violent crime. One of the best examples of this is robbing someone at gunpoint or stealing from a lady and assaulting her sexually afterwards. See also this article to know more about the elements of the crime.
When omission becomes a crime
Omission is neither a property crime or a violent crime. While most crimes involve guilty actions where evidence can be gathered to prove the offender as guilty, omission is a crime that results from “not taking any action at all”. An example of this is failure to act when you know somebody needs your help and you didn’t give any. If you are found guilty of failing to act in such cases, you can be criminally charged with omission.
Criminal Offenses in Las Vegas, Nevada
In Las Vegas, criminal charges are categorized into three: misdemeanors, gross misdemeanors, and felonies.
Misdemeanor offenses have no right to a trial by jury in Las Vegas. The judge alone will decide what will be the outcome of your case. Although this type of criminal offense is considered the least serious, the Judge’s decision might result in fines, expensive classes, a tainted criminal record, and/or jail time.
Gross misdemeanor offenses, are more serious than a misdemeanor but a lesser offense compared to felonies, might result in probation or jail time together with other court costs as well as fines.
Felony can be deemed the most serious case among all categories of crime in Las Vegas, Nevada. Being convicted of a felony crime might result to:
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long imprisonment
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loss of your rights to firearm ownership
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loss of your rights to vote
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loss of opportunities to jobs, permits, and licenses
If you are ever charged for a crime, take expert advice from a criminal defense lawyer to defend your case.