PROJECT: KNOW YOUR STATE’S PENAL OR CRIMINAL CODE

PROJECT: KNOW YOUR STATE’S PENAL OR CRIMINAL CODE

Felonies

Felonies are crimes, which are severe and unlawful that involve physical or threat to harm and victim. These crimes are punishable in a court of law and carry punishment for more than one year in prison (Leslie & Pope 2017). These felonies include:

1. Rape and Sexual Assault is a crime of unlawful sexual penetration to a person or forcefully sexually harassing someone.
2. Aggression or Assault is a crime classified under a felony where another person attacks a person with a weapon.
3. Prostitution- a person found promoting prostitution by owning, in control, or supervising a place where prostitution takes place is a crime
4. Kidnapping- it is an action where a person or people forcefully take a person to an unknown location against his will
5. Arson is an action of burning a structure or building intentionally and causing bodily harm to a person
6. Drug crime is a crime where manufacturing and delivering controlled drugs such as heroin and bhang that can affect people mentally.
7. Theft is considered a felony if it occurs during riot and items such as firearms, machinery. Equipment, explosives, or drug substances prohibited.
8. Child pornography is a crime if found featuring, processing, possessing, and trafficking content with minor pornography in a person’s computer.
9. Manslaughter is causing the death of a person through careless behavior and actions but without an intention to kill.
10. Murder is a crime classified under a felony where a person kills another person intentionally (Leslie & Pope 2017).

Misdemeanors

A misdemeanor is a crime, which is less severe, less grave, or dangerous compared to a felony. They carry a maximum term jail not more than one year or fines (Leslie & Pope 2017).

1. Driving while intoxicated is a crime where one drives carelessly or recklessly, causing harm to people or property and not observing traffic rules.
2. Obscenity – This is broadcasting of obscene or prohibited programs
3. Illegally possessing a gun – a person found in possession of a firearm even without an intention to commit a crime is a misdemeanor.
4. Possession of controlled substance – Federal and state laws control and regulate some content. If a person is found in possession, selling, distributing, and use controlled substances are considered a misdemeanor crime.
5. Perjury crime is lying after taking an oath after promising that you will tell the truth at all times to a public official.
6. Larceny is a theft that involves taking someone’s property and intending to use it permanently; hence, depriving the owner to use the item
7. Indecent exposure – if a person exposes one’s private parts in public to adults alarming them is a misdemeanor.
8. Trespassing is an unintentional or unauthorized entry into someone’s soil or premise that involves dangerous activity.
9. Disorderly conduct is a crime where a person is drunk in public or disturbing the existing peace and being unruly.
10. Self-Defense is a crime classified under misdemeanor involving body injury where the defendant uses reasonable force in defending himself to avoid being attacked (Leslie & Pope 2017).

In my opinion, the penalties are fair and reasonable because it has addressed how to classify felonies and misdemeanor crimes. Penalties for felonies and misdemeanors penalties are clear, and anyone breaching is dealt with by the laws governing each one of them.

Part B: Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying has become rampant, especially in social media where people are threatened, intimidated, harassed, and abused through Facebook, WhatsApp, and any other media because no laws are governing it. Cyberbullying causes mental or psychological harm to a person; hence, it should be punishable by law because many people are misusing the technological advancement environment. Cyberbullying can be done knowingly or unknowingly by the perpetrators and can affect the self-esteem of a person, withdrawal from the community, and lead to violence and committing suicide (McNeal, Kunkle & Bryan 2017).

Cyberbullying should be classified as either felony or demeanor, depending on the extent of the harm to the person affected. If it was done unknowing, an apology can work and if the damage can lead to suicide, loss of a job, mental sickness, and withdrawal from friends, family, and society; then, one should be fine, not less than $ 20,000, imprisoned for not less than five years, or both. The laws should deter people from harassing others and demeaning others publicly because of personal matters. The society will be orderly and punish those perpetrating these crimes; hence, minimizing psychological torture to many people.

References

Leslie, E., & Pope, N. G. (2017). The unintended impact of pretrial detention on case outcomes: Evidence from New York City arraignments. The Journal of Law and Economics, 60(3), 529-557.

McNeal, R. S., Kunkle, S. M., & Bryan, L. D. (2017). State-Level Cyberbullying Policy.