petty offenses

(noun)

Criminal offenses punishable by imprisonment for not more than six months and are not covered by the jury requirement.

Related Terms

Examples of petty offenses in the following topics:

  • The Sixth Amendment and Jury Trials

    • The right to a jury has always depended on the nature of the offense with which the defendant is charged.
    • Petty offenses are those punishable by imprisonment for not more than six months and are not covered by the jury requirement.
    • Even where multiple petty offenses are concerned, the total time of imprisonment possibly exceeding six months, the right to a jury trial does not exist.
    • Also, in the United States, except for serious offenses (such as murder), minors are usually tried in a juvenile court, which lessens the sentence allowed, but forfeits the right to a jury.

  • Bureaucracy

    • Bureaucracy may be defined as a form of government: government by many bureaus, administrators, and petty officials.
    • Bureaucracy may also be defined as a form of government: government by many bureaus, administrators, and petty officials.

  • Size of the Federal Bureaucracy

    • The reduction in red tape, essentially means the reduction of petty government (and occasionally business) bureaucracy.
    • Such processes are often very slow as it usually means a government employee who was fulfilling that petty function either loses some of their administrative power (and any indirect benefits that it may bestow) or a lower level office worker loses their job.

  • Termination

    • Bureaucracy may also be defined as a form of government: "government by many bureaus, administrators, and petty officials.

  • The Fifth Amendment

    • No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

  • Civil Law and Criminal Law

    • For public welfare offenses where the state is punishing merely risky (as opposed to injurious) behavior, there is significant diversity across the various states.
    • State laws dealing with drug crimes still vary widely, with some states treating possession of small amounts of drugs as a misdemeanor offense or as a medical issue and others categorizing the same offense as a serious felony.

  • Congress

    • Instead, they maintain that they have the Constitutional authority, as commander in chief to use the military for "police actions. " According to historian Thomas Woods, "Ever since the Korean, Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution — which refers to the president as the 'Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States' — has been interpreted to mean that the president may act with an essentially free hand in foreign affairs, or at the very least that he may send men into battle without consulting Congress. " Some people have argued this could pass as offensive actions, although historically police actions fell mostly under the purview of protecting embassies, U.S. citizens overseas, and shipping such as the quasi war.
    • Some legal scholars maintain that offensive, non-police military actions, while a quorum can still be convened, taken without a formal Congressional declaration of war is unconstitutional.

  • The Fifth Amendment, Self-Incrimination, and Double Jeopardy

    • The text of the Fifth Amendment reads as follows: "No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."
    • The prohibition extends to a directed verdict before the case is submitted to the jury, a directed verdict after a deadlocked jury, an appellate reversal for sufficiency (except by direct appeal to a higher appellate court), and an "implied acquittal" via conviction of a lesser included offense.

  • Civil Rights of Asian Americans

    • The Census defines Asian Americans as people who indicate their race as "Asian," "Chinese," "Filipino," "Indian," "Vietnamese," "Korean," "Japanese," or "Other Asian. " The group term Asian American has been in wide use since the 1960s, and was introduced as an alternative to the now antiquated and sometimes offensive term "Oriental. "
    • While the group's nickname generally reflects positive trends, it can be seen as offensive or stereotypical when it is applied in a way that implies all Asian Americans are well-educated, wealthy, and demure.

  • Vertical Checks and Balances

    • This branch has the power to grant "reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment. "