Level 1: Crime

Child abuse - physical, psychological, or sexual maltreatment of a child.

Example:

Anna was charged with child abuse and deprived of custody of her children.

Crime - the act of doing something illegal and punishable by law.

Example:

The crime is done and there is no going back now.

Cybercrime - an act of crime on the internet.

Example:

He is a famous hacker who committed a lot of cybercrimes.

False imprisonment - unlawful imprisonment of a person.

Example:

The police officer was charged with false imprisonment after he illegally kept a suspect in jail hoping to find out more information from him.

Identity theft - an illegal usage of another person’s name and personal data often to obtain loans.

Example:

Many people do not realize that but even pretending to be someone else without getting any profits from that is illegal, meaning they can be charged with identity theft.

Jaywalking - the act of crossing the street where it is prohibited either by traffic lights or road signs.

Example:

Most pedestrians think that all the responsibility for any accident is always on the driver. What they need to know is that jaywalking is also a crime.

Kidnapping - a crime of taking away and keeping a person against their will.

Example:

You cannot just lock her in your house so she’s always with you! That’s kidnapping!

Mugging - a violent attack on a person to steal their money usually in a public place.

Example:

There was a period in John’s life when mugging was his primary source of income.

Murder - a premeditated killing of a person.

Example:

A suspect cannot be charged with murder unless there is a body found, even if investigators are 100% sure that a missing person is dead.

Pickpocketing - a crime of stealing money or valuable possessions from a person’s pocket.

Example:

They accuse me of pickpocketing but I never stole a thing in my entire life!

Rape - a crime that involves having any kind of sexual intercourse with a person against their will.

Example:

Many rape victims never file reports and hide the fact that they were raped because they are too ashamed and afraid of being misunderstood.

Riot - violent public strikes.

Example:

The riots in Paris are getting more intense. Over two hundred people were injured, and ten people were killed.

Robbery - the act of illegally taking a person’s property usually by force.

Example:

There were at least three robberies in town this week, and the sheriff believes they were all done by one criminal group.

Shoplifting - the act of stealing goods from a store.

Example:

Shoplifting is very common among teenagers who suffer from kleptomania or other mental disorders.

Speeding - the act of going over the speed limit on a particular part of a road.

Example:

I’ve got a speeding ticket and I have to pay a huge fine now.

Terrorism - the use of violence against civilians in the pursuit of political aims.

Example:

Terrorism is a tremendous problem in the modern world.

Theft - the crime of stealing someone else’s property.

Example:

Jackie had been falsely accused of theft, but the investigators never found the money she supposedly stole, so she was cleared of all charges.

Traffic offense - the act of violating traffic regulations

Example:

.Traffic offense is very common, but most people do not realize how dangerous it really is.

Attorney/ Lawyer - a lawyer, especially one who can represent and act for a person in court.

Example:

My attorney told me not to talk to you without him present.

Court - a place where various legal cases, such as trials, happen.

Example:

The attorney has to be in court on Monday at 9 a.m.

Defendant - a person, company, or institution in a court that is accused of a crime.

Example:

The defendant denied ever receiving any money from Mr. Willson, but we have solid evidence that he is lying.

Evidence - objects, documents, statements, etc. that are used to prove a person’s innocence or guilt.

Example:

The DNA test results, as well as a lot of other evidence, prove that Mr. Smith is guilty of first-degree murder.

Guilty - responsive for a crime.

Example:

The jury found Mr. Adams guilty of all charges.

Innocent - not guilty of a crime.

Example:

The judge does not believe Mrs. Lewis is innocent even though there is not much evidence against her.

Judge - a public official who has the authority to decide cases in a law court.

Example:

We need to convince the judge and the jury that you were at home that night, is there anybody who can confirm it?

Jury - a group of people (usually 12) who give verdict in a legal case.

Example:

Sometimes it’s enough to convince the jury that you're not guilty to get away with a serious crime.

Police officer - a member of the police force.

Example:

Jimmy’s dad is a police officer, and he deals with many crimes every day.

Prosecutor - an official who accuses a person of committing a crime in a court.

Example:

The prosecutor has all the evidence to prove that Tom is guilty of pickpocketing.

Trial - a formal process of evidence examination by a judge to decide a case and proclaim a defendant guilty or clear them of charges.

Example:

The first trial lasted for twelve hours.

Victim - a person that has been wronged or harmed by another person.

Example:

The car accident brought many victims.

Witness - a person who saw the crime happen.

Example:

Susie was a witness to that huge robbery.