Houston criminal defense lawyersHouston Texas criminal defense attorneysCriminal Law: the body of law that defines criminal offences and the penalties for convicted offenders. There are five main goals of criminal justice: retribution, deterrence, incapacitation, rehabilitation and restitution. The two basic elements of a crime are the act of doing that which is criminal, and the intention to carry it out. In Latin this is called the actus reus and the mens rea. In many crimes however, there is no necessity of showing criminal intention, which is why the term "strict liability" is used. |