t is important to understand the different types of laws in the United States. What we see most often on television and the news are criminal law cases. But there are four main types of law: criminal, civil, juvenile and traffic.

Criminal Law

Criminal law is involved when a person is accused of breaking a state or local criminal law. A minor criminal offense is called a misdemeanor, and a more serious offense is called a felony. Examples of misdemeanors are shoplifting, vandalism and trespassing. If you are convicted of a misdemeanor, the punishment is no more than one year in jail. A felony charge is much more serious and is punishable by a prison term of one year to life and/or you will be sentenced to pay a fine. Examples of felonies are murder, robbery and rape.

Civil Law

In civil law, the defendant is usually not a criminal. Civil law relates to disagreements between two individuals, businesses or organizations, where both think that they are right. There are two principle kinds of civil law:

1) The first kind of civil law concerns wrongs, such as personal injury or property damage:

An example of a personal injury case would be if a person is hurt in a store because of unsafe conditions. The injured person can sue the store for damages (medical expenses, loss of work, etc.)

An example of property damage would be damage done to a vehicle in an accident. This is why it is so important to have insurance that pays for damage, not only for your vehicle, but also to the other person’s vehicle if the accident is your fault.

2) The other kind of civil law concerns contracts or agreements:

A contract or agreement is when one person or organization promises to do something and another promises something in return. For example, when we get a telephone installed, we promise the phone company to pay for that service. We promise to pay and they promise to provide us with the service.

Marriage is also a contract between two people. Therefore, when married people want a divorce, they must go to court to end that contract. There are many types of contracts, so it is important not to sign a contract unless you understand it completely.

Juvenile Law

Juvenile laws apply to individuals under the age of 18. Generally, these laws are the same as for adults, but more emphasis is placed on confidentiality and rehabilitation.

Traffic Law

Traffic laws relate to the operation of a motor vehicle on the state’s roads and highways. They can be called either an infraction or a misdemeanor and they are the most common type of court case.