Well no. A criminal record is just that. A record. A record of someone being charged and convicted of a crime in a court of law.
Doing something illegal doesn't mean someone has a criminal record. If so, we would all have criminal records, because there is not one person here who has never committed a crime. Speeding is a crime. Jay walking is a crime in some places.
This is not the "gotcha" people think it is. And it's kind of embarrassing that people don't know that a criminal record is more than just someone breaking a law.
You're confusing common laws vs federal. How many years have you spent in prison vs how much was your ticket/court cost. Sneaking into a country, esp America, is not the same as jay walking. That’s breaking federal laws. And you don’t have to be convicted. If your an illegal, that’s being convicted. Doesn’t require a court.
You're confusing common laws vs federal. How many years have you spent in prison vs how much was your ticket/court cost.
I'm not sure what you mean here. Do you mean state laws vs federal? Because I think traffic laws are under state laws. Either way, it doesn't really matter, because the terms "criminal record" and "illegal act" don't change depending on if they fall under being a federal crime or a state crime.
I don't think you understood my point in regards to the speeding and jaywalking examples. My point was virtually everyone here has done something illegal at least once in their life, yet everyone does not have a criminal record. That's because not everyone is caught doing whatever illegal thing it is they're doing, and even if they're caught it does not mean they automatically charged with a crime and then found guilty in order to have a criminal record. Because, yet again, a criminal record does not mean the same as doing something illegal.
I honestly can't believe I have to explain this.
I'm not saying all crimes are equal.
I'm saying that the term "criminal record" means something more than just doing something illegal.
I don't think you understand what the word "convicted" means, either.
And you don’t have to be convicted. If your an illegal, that’s being convicted.
That doesn't make any sense.
I think you're confusing "guilty" with "convicted". Someone can be guilty of a crime without being convicted of it. Conversely, someone can be convicted of a crime without being guilty of it. For instance, President Trump may have been convicted of sexual abuse, but that doesn't mean he was guilty of it.
Doesn’t require a court.
Well, if it's talking about a criminal record, then yes, it does require a court. Because courts of law are where people are found guilty of crimes and where those crimes are recorded. As in a a record of a criminal activity. As in a criminal record. See, that's where it gets the name. Did you never make that association before?
No matter how you spin it, words have definitions for a reason. If we all just made up our own definitions for things, the world would devolve into chaos.
In most countries, a criminal record is limited to unexpunged and unexpired actual convictions (where the individual has pleaded guilty or been found guilty by a qualified court, resulting in the entry of a conviction), while in some it can also include arrests, charges dismissed, charges pending and charges of which the individual has been acquitted.
I don't care enough to lookup if the US is one of said countries, but this at least puts fourth a common understanding of what "criminal record" means.
Yes. Thank you. It points out that a person has to have at least some sort of official interaction with the legal system in order to be considered to have a criminal record. Yet again, that whole definition of the word "record".
Just because a person is an illegal alien and is here illegally doesn't mean they've ever been looked at sideways by anyone in law enforcement, much less arrested or charged with anything.
Well no. A criminal record is just that. A record. A record of someone being charged and convicted of a crime in a court of law.
Doing something illegal doesn't mean someone has a criminal record. If so, we would all have criminal records, because there is not one person here who has never committed a crime. Speeding is a crime. Jay walking is a crime in some places.
This is not the "gotcha" people think it is. And it's kind of embarrassing that people don't know that a criminal record is more than just someone breaking a law.
You're confusing common laws vs federal. How many years have you spent in prison vs how much was your ticket/court cost. Sneaking into a country, esp America, is not the same as jay walking. That’s breaking federal laws. And you don’t have to be convicted. If your an illegal, that’s being convicted. Doesn’t require a court.
I'm not sure what you mean here. Do you mean state laws vs federal? Because I think traffic laws are under state laws. Either way, it doesn't really matter, because the terms "criminal record" and "illegal act" don't change depending on if they fall under being a federal crime or a state crime.
I don't think you understood my point in regards to the speeding and jaywalking examples. My point was virtually everyone here has done something illegal at least once in their life, yet everyone does not have a criminal record. That's because not everyone is caught doing whatever illegal thing it is they're doing, and even if they're caught it does not mean they automatically charged with a crime and then found guilty in order to have a criminal record. Because, yet again, a criminal record does not mean the same as doing something illegal.
I honestly can't believe I have to explain this.
I'm not saying all crimes are equal.
I'm saying that the term "criminal record" means something more than just doing something illegal.
I don't think you understand what the word "convicted" means, either.
That doesn't make any sense.
I think you're confusing "guilty" with "convicted". Someone can be guilty of a crime without being convicted of it. Conversely, someone can be convicted of a crime without being guilty of it. For instance, President Trump may have been convicted of sexual abuse, but that doesn't mean he was guilty of it.
Well, if it's talking about a criminal record, then yes, it does require a court. Because courts of law are where people are found guilty of crimes and where those crimes are recorded. As in a a record of a criminal activity. As in a criminal record. See, that's where it gets the name. Did you never make that association before?
No matter how you spin it, words have definitions for a reason. If we all just made up our own definitions for things, the world would devolve into chaos.
Unless this definition is just plain wrong: Criminal Record
I don't care enough to lookup if the US is one of said countries, but this at least puts fourth a common understanding of what "criminal record" means.
Yes. Thank you. It points out that a person has to have at least some sort of official interaction with the legal system in order to be considered to have a criminal record. Yet again, that whole definition of the word "record".
Just because a person is an illegal alien and is here illegally doesn't mean they've ever been looked at sideways by anyone in law enforcement, much less arrested or charged with anything.
Glad we cleared that up.