Chapter 15: Law in America "Crime and Punishment"

Introduction

In this chapter students learned about law in the United States—the principles of the legal system, the various types of civil law, and the types of criminal law. In this activity they will take a closer look at criminal law and the criminal justice process.

Lesson Description

Students will visit the Lawyers.com Web site's feature on criminal law. They will learn about different types of crimes, the justice process, and the rights of citizens accused of crimes. They will answer four questions pertaining to what they have read and will then write a newspaper editorial commenting on crime in the United States today.

Instructional Objectives

1. Students will be able to distinguish among different types of crimes.
2. Students will be able to summarize the steps followed in the criminal justice process.

Student Web Activity Answers

1. The two main categories are felonies and misdemeanors. Felonies are crimes punishable by more than one year's imprisonment; misdemeanors are crimes punishable by less than one year's imprisonment. Persons accused of a felony automatically have the right to a jury trial, while those accused of misdemeanors have this right only if the crime is considered serious enough to warrant a jury trial.
2. investigation; search warrant; interrogation; arrest; complaint, information, or indictment; arraignment; bail; plea negotiations; trial; verdict; appeal
3. The United States Sentencing Guidelines outline factors federal courts must consider when deciding sentences. Some of the factors are the amount of loss to victims, whether a weapon was used in the crime, and the age or vulnerability of the victims of the crime. A person's prior criminal history is also considered.
4. A plea bargain is an agreement between the prosecutor and the accused person under which the accused person agrees to plead guilty to a crime in exchange for a negotiated sentence. A plea bargain may occur before or even during a trial.
5. Students' editorials will vary.