Some wrongs are treated as injuries to the whole community. Criminal law is the body of rules that defines offenses against the state or society, prescribes punishments, and establishes the procedures for investigation, prosecution, and adjudication.

Crimes are generally classified by severity as felonies or misdemeanors. Statutes specify the required conduct and mental state for each offense. The government, through prosecutors, brings charges; defendants are entitled to procedural protections including the presumption of innocence and, in serious cases, the right to counsel and jury trial.

Criminal law aims at deterrence, retribution, incapacitation, and sometimes rehabilitation. It coexists with civil remedies for the same underlying acts. Legislative choices about what to criminalize and how severely to punish continually reshape the field.

• Law defining crimes and punishments
• Prosecuted by the state against individuals
• Includes substantive offenses and procedures
• Distinct from private civil liability