Criminal Law in the United States

A graduate of the International Universidad de León, Jaime Lombana holds a PhD in law. He serves as a professor at Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano in his hometown Bogotá. Jaime Lombana also served as a professor at Universidad Sergio Arboleda, where he taught criminal law.

Criminal law deals with criminal offenses and acts. A criminal offense is any act that is immoral and represents a threat to society, the public, and property. These acts include murder, theft, and terrorism, such as damage to property or money laundering. A crime consists of three acts, the conduct, the mental state of an individual that commits a crime, and the causation. In cases of criminal prosecution, the judge must declare an individual guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to sentence an individual to prison.

In the United States, several crime categories exist, such as felonies, misdemeanors, strict liability offenses, and inchoate offenses. When there are more parties involved in a crime, the government and officials need to identify accomplices and their degree of involvement.