登陆注册
7676100000018

第18章 Criminal Law 刑法(4)

Although the common law provides the basis for defining crimes, federal and state legislatures have enacted statutes that specifically define the elements ( parts) of a crime. For example, common law judges defined rape as sexual intercourse by a man with a woman who was not his wife, against her will and through the use or threat of force. Some modern statutes have modified the elements of thecommon law crime of rape. For example, under some statutes the victim can be either male or female, and a husband can be found guilty of raping his wife. In modern times, both in England and the United States, legislatures have almost completely taken over the task of defining crimes. Judges seldom, if ever, create new definitions of crime, although in England and in many states of the United States they theoretically still have that power.

Until the late18th century, the common law predominated in defining crimes, and there were relatively few—no more than 20 or 30. Today, statutes specify hundreds of crimes in England and in the United States. Matters thatjudges three centuries ago never even thought about—such as carjacking, bribing college athletes, and making false statements in connection with the registration of stocks and bonds—have been classified by legislatures as new statutory crimes.

Although the trend is to add new crimes by statute, to a lesser extent there is a tendency for some crimes of one era to disappear in the next. For example, jurisdictions that once punished witchcraft by death no longer recognize it as a crime at all. Other crimes once prevalent in common law jurisdictions—such as adultery, fornication, sodomy, and blasphemy—have been eliminated by many legislatures. These activities are often ignored by law enforcementofficials in jurisdictions where they remain crimes.

Lawmaking authority

The United States has a federal system of government, meaning that power is divided between a central authority and many regional authorities ( Federalism) . Consequently the power to make law, including criminal law, is divided between the national government and the governments of the50 states. Local governments also have the authority to enact laws.

The federal government derives its legislative power from the Constitution of the United States. The Constitution gives the federal government authority over certain limited subjects, such as the power to tax, to regulate interstate commerce, to declare war, and to regulate the mail. These powers include an implied authority to define some crimes. For example, the taxation power includes the authority to make it a crime to fail to file an income-tax return or to understate income in a return that is filed. The authority over mail includes the implied power to make it a crime to use the mail to defraud( cheat by deception) or to distribute obscene publications.

The Constitution also explicitly grants power to define criminal behavior. For example, it gives the federal government the authority to punish counterfeiting, treason, and felonies committed on the high seas ( such as piracy) and to govern land areas in the United States devoted to federal uses, such as military bases and national parks. The federal government may also protect itself from harm. Thus it has defined as crimes sedition ( inciting dissatisfaction with government) , bribery of federal officials, and perjury ( providing false testimony) in federal courts. In federal territories, the federal government has substantial power over criminal matters, a power similar to that retained by states within their own borders.

同类推荐
  • 课外英语-七彩音符时不我待(双语版)

    课外英语-七彩音符时不我待(双语版)

    本书收录了世界经典英文歌曲,其中包括常青的爱、昔日恋情、无心快语、克莱门泰等多首脍炙人口的歌曲,每首歌曲都有中英文歌词、语言点解析及注释赏析。
  • 天使吻过那片海

    天使吻过那片海

    《天使吻过那片海》既是英语学习爱好者、文学爱好者的必备读物,也是忙碌现代人的一片憩息心灵的家园,让读者在欣赏原法原味和凝练生动的英文时,还能多角度、深层次地品读语言特色与艺术之美,再配合文章后附加的多功能、全方位巩固题型,更有助于理解并学习英……
  • Chinesesculpting

    Chinesesculpting

    Emergingfromoneoftheoldestcivilizations,Chinesesculpturehasthrivedforthousandofyears.Astimemovesandcultureevolves,Chinesesculpturehasalsotakendifferentpathsindifferentregionsandcannotbeeasilycategorizedintoafewtypes.
  • 那些美轮美奂的舞台剧

    那些美轮美奂的舞台剧

    《每天读一点英文:那些美轮美奂的舞台剧(英汉对照)》收录了莎士比亚、萧伯纳、谢里丹等文学泰斗的经典戏剧。让你在感受舞台磅礴气势的同时,学会戏里戏外做人的道理!
  • 英语美文口袋书:情感篇

    英语美文口袋书:情感篇

    本套书共设计五本,选取英语国家美文,以欣赏性美文为基础,兼顾时效性和趣味性。内容涉及生活感悟、情感、美德与修养、自然、世界文化等主题,体裁不拘一格,以散文、随笔、故事等形式呈现。体例上,除提供英文和译文外,增加了内容导读、单词解释和文字赏析,便于读者在了解内容同时,达到赏析和学习语言的目的。本书为情感篇。
热门推荐
  • 失败的门

    失败的门

    2005年2月17日,沉迷负面,但弘扬正面。
  • 织梦为饵

    织梦为饵

    如果我告诉你,你和天才之间的差距只有一场梦境,你是否会动心?
  • 九州志之天之劫

    九州志之天之劫

    经历过坎坷与痛苦的人,必将不再甘于生活的平凡。远离江湖朝堂,不争名利的渔村少年,为报灭村之仇,毅然卷进九州风云。然而令少年意想不到的是,一件件离奇真相揭示着更深沉的诡谋。洪荒蛮族、森岳精灵、天疆异族、深海皇朝、九州人族几方交戈,九州再启远古未完之战。而这一切的背后,又有何种势力,翻弄风云,苍生为棋。
  • 穿越之最强小兵

    穿越之最强小兵

    一觉醒来,天朝屌丝李小甲变成了一个新王朝人人敬仰的小公爷,而且穿越来第二天就被通知要拜堂结婚!一直苦逼的李小甲突然感叹人生居然如此美好!但却不知,自己要娶的乃是全镇第一土豪宋家号称丑霸帝国的女儿!唉,不说了,我得赶紧跑路了,这成了李小甲穿越后说的第一句话。
  • 天行

    天行

    号称“北辰骑神”的天才玩家以自创的“牧马冲锋流”战术击败了国服第一弓手北冥雪,被誉为天纵战榜第一骑士的他,却受到小人排挤,最终离开了效力已久的银狐俱乐部。是沉沦,还是再次崛起?恰逢其时,月恒集团第四款游戏“天行”正式上线,虚拟世界再起风云!
  • 天行

    天行

    号称“北辰骑神”的天才玩家以自创的“牧马冲锋流”战术击败了国服第一弓手北冥雪,被誉为天纵战榜第一骑士的他,却受到小人排挤,最终离开了效力已久的银狐俱乐部。是沉沦,还是再次崛起?恰逢其时,月恒集团第四款游戏“天行”正式上线,虚拟世界再起风云!
  • 潇颖芝

    潇颖芝

    一个新时代农村二逼青年的奋斗成长史,有着对所谓上天注定“命运”抗争,本来怀揣“知识改变命运”信念,却面临大学毕业却一事无成,梦想和现实之间距离就是太阳和地球的距离。在机缘巧合当中,临危受命,担任村干部,正可谓初生牛犊不怕虎,企图用科学文化知识来改变封建迷信传统观念深重的乡里乡亲,发生一些啼笑皆非的故事。
  • 喜欢意难平

    喜欢意难平

    许笑凌是当代性单恋患者,一直以来她都希望有人可以救赎自己。可能顾子乘的到来是她命中该有的转折,但实在太匆匆....
  • 超凡医圣

    超凡医圣

    本是超凡医圣,左手惊天医术,右手无敌武功,为了十六年前的约定,手握一纸婚书回归都市,却发现未婚妻……
  • 天行

    天行

    号称“北辰骑神”的天才玩家以自创的“牧马冲锋流”战术击败了国服第一弓手北冥雪,被誉为天纵战榜第一骑士的他,却受到小人排挤,最终离开了效力已久的银狐俱乐部。是沉沦,还是再次崛起?恰逢其时,月恒集团第四款游戏“天行”正式上线,虚拟世界再起风云!