Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 exptools 1/6/84; site ihldt.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!ihldt!stewart From: stewart@ihldt.UUCP (R. J. Stewart) Newsgroups: net.legal Subject: Re: Criminal Prosecution Message-ID: <2450@ihldt.UUCP> Date: Fri, 10-Aug-84 10:27:47 EDT Article-I.D.: ihldt.2450 Posted: Fri Aug 10 10:27:47 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 11-Aug-84 00:28:55 EDT References: <1238@sdcrdcf.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL Lines: 20 > A friend of mine recently told me that, altho a citizen can initiate > civil legal action, the executive branch of govn is the only one > which can handle criminal legal action. Is this true? As best I can tell from some classes I've had, this is true (assuming all states work about the same). In fact, a criminal action is considered to be a crime against the state, not against a person. For example, if I violate the law by punching someone in the nose, my crime was that I violated the state penal code; the person I punched is merely a witness to the crime. The origin of this is unclear. It seems to have its advantages and disadvantages. Bob Stewart ihldt!stewart Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer. The contents of this article represent a layman's opinion.