Cracking the AP U.S. Government & Politics Exam, 2019 Edition by Princeton Review

Author:Princeton Review
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2019-01-14T16:00:00+00:00

Types of Law

In the United States, most legal cases involve either civil law or criminal law. The distinction between these two types of law is very important, and knowing the differences and similarities can help a great deal when taking the AP exam. The following chart highlights the different processes involved in criminal and civil cases.

Criminal Law vs. Civil Law

Anyone who watches television police or law dramas has at least some familiarity with the trappings of criminal law. This type of law deals with serious crimes that harm individuals or society. If physical violence is involved, the action will probably end up in the criminal justice system, but fraud and extortion are also crimes. In criminal law, a suspect is arrested and must be indicted. This is done (in most states and at the federal level) by a grand jury: a group of 24 to 48 jurors who decide only one thing—whether a trial should commence. Since the grand jury is not deciding guilt or innocence, an accused person does not have many protections at the grand jury level. The prosecution usually has to meet a certain standard of evidence. In fact, defense attorneys are not even allowed to address grand juries. Once the accused is indicted, that person then has the option of plea bargaining with the prosecution to agree to a less serious crime and sentence.

Yes, Pleas

Approximately 95% of all criminal cases end in plea bargains.

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