Criminal differs from civil law in that criminal law is action taken by the state against an individual or business for breaking a law, whereas civil law is between individuals or businesses.

The term for this is committing a crime, which is a prohibited act that violates a law set forth in either federal, state, or local statutes.

Crimes can be either misdemeanors or felonies. You have the option of choosing to represent yourself or hiring an attorney to defend you on either case type. Depending on the nature of the alleged crime, you may choose to waive your right to counsel. For traffic violations, you can sometimes get a summary proceeding in which you visit with a local judge and he resolves it with a summary judgment. However, for felony cases, you will want to hire an attorney to represent you.

People often ask if they have the right to refuse a search. There are personal searches, vehicle searches, and home searches.

The officer, given probable cause, can search your car when he/she wants. The law doesn