Major Types of Criminal Offenses You Ought to Know 

Despite having different types of crimes, we can broadly categorize them into five primary categories. As a result, there are crimes against property, financial crimes, crimes against a person, statutory crimes, and inchoate crimes.

Read through to find out more about the major categories of crimes. 

Crimes Against Property 

These crimes involve typical interference with the other party’s property. Although these crimes may result in either mental or physical damage to another party, their main consequence is that they deprive the chances of using the property and the enjoyment that comes from it. Crimes against property include theft, such as shoplifting, burglary, auto theft, robbery, and larceny. 

Crimes Against a Person 

These crimes led to either mental or physical harm to another person. There are two main categories of such crimes, including violent and homicide crimes. In cases where a physical crime results in the other party’s death, the defendant is charged with homicide crimes. And they include first-degree murder, vehicular homicide, or voluntary manslaughter. 

On the other hand, violent and equally severe crimes include those where the defendant harmed the victim through the threat of violence. As a result, several violent crimes attract extremely steep penalties, including kidnapping, arson, rape and statutory rape, assault and battery, domestic abuse, and child abuse. This type of crime has extended to other sectors, including places of worship. For instance, many priests have been accused of abuse in CT, thus attracting severe criminal charges. 

Statutory Crimes 

Here, the crimes are proscribed by statute, and they include several other crimes alongside the ones discussed above. There are three most significant statutory crimes, namely alcohol and drugs related crimes, white collar/financial crimes, and traffic offenses. 

The prohibition of these crimes is facilitated by society’s need to deter its members from engaging in them. Many crimes are related to alcohol offenses, most of which are regarded to where and how one consumes the alcohol. 

They include the following:

• Public Intoxication
• Driving under the influence of alcohol
• Supplying and Selling Alcohol to Underage 
• Refusing to undertake a Field Sobriety Test 

Inchoate Crimes 

This category of crimes involves those offenses that were initiated but did not go into completion. They also comprise the acts that lead one to commit another crime. In most cases, this type of crime requires that a person not only intends to commit or commit an offense but they must also have participated in the substantial steps leading to the commission of such a crime. And it is only at this point that a person can be found guilty. They include conspiracy, aiding and abetting, and attempting. 

Financial Crimes and Others 

Some crimes involve deception or fraud to gain a financial benefit. They are also referred to as white-collar crimes, and anyone in any industry can commit such crimes. The most common financial crimes include embezzlement of funds, fraud and blackmail, cybercrime, money laundering, and tax evasion. 

Conclusion 

Above are the five primary categories of crimes observed as most frequently occurring. Committing such criminal offenses attracts adverse consequences under the criminal justice system. Therefore, everyone should adhere to the laws and regulations governing their state to escape the steep penalties that may arise from committing such crimes.