经典的犯罪都是社会法典的一部分。外行将这些行为称之为犯罪,即使他不知道那些法律的法律术语和差别,他仍然能对什么是谋杀有粗浅的认识。尽管我们中的少数人能区分一级谋杀和二级谋杀的差别,并且了解什么是“恶意”或者什么程度的愚妄导致杀人,但是我们明白,冷血的杀戮即谋杀。Р Punishment, too, is variable. It depends mostly on how serious the crime. Seriousness is not inherent in the criminal conduct; it is a social judgment. Legally speaking, serious crimes are called felonies; less serious crimes are called misdemeanors. The exact line between them is a matter of legal definition. In California, a felony is a crime which can be punished by death or by a year or more in prison; all others are misdemeanors, except for some petty acts (traffic violations, breaches of ordinances) which are called offenses. Offenses carry less of a punishment than crimes and have less of a stigma. A history of parking tickets is not a criminal record.
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