Gazewood & Weiner PC

Helping You Address Criminal Law Charges

Attorneys on Your Side, Every Time

Criminal defense law firms represent clients who are being prosecuted by the state or federal government for an act that has been classified as a crime. Any act or failure to perform an act as designated by public law is considered a crime. With the exception of strict liability crimes, most crimes consist of 3 elements: an act (actus reus), a mental state (mens rea), and the intent to do social harm. Contact Gazewood & Weiner for more details about criminal law.

About Criminal Law

In criminal law, the suit is initiated by the state or federal government through a prosecutor rather than being initiated by the victim, as it is in civil law. Plaintiffs in a civil lawsuit only need to show by a preponderance of the evidence that a defendant is 51% or more liable (responsible) for the damages. But, the prosecutor in a criminal law case has to prove to the judge or jury "beyond a reasonable doubt" that the defendant is guilty of the crime charged.

Classifying Criminal Law
Crimes are classified as "misdemeanors" (less serious offenses normally punishable by a fine) and "felonies" (more serious offenses that require imprisonment for 1 or more years). Details of these offenses include:

• Misdemeanors: Traffic Violations, Petty Theft, & Other Less Serious Crimes
• Felonies: Rape, Grand Theft, Assault & Battery, Assault with a Deadly Weapon, or  
• Homicide/Murder