Blacks Law Dict. 1st ed

GRIM. CON.

801

CBIMEN INNOMINATUM

is an infringement or privation of the civil right* of individuals merely. Brown. A crime, as opposed to a civil injury, is the vio lation of a right, considered in reference to th« evil tendency of such violation, as regards toe community at large. 4 Steph. Comm. 4. CRIME AGAINST NATURE. The offense of buggery or sodomy. CRIMEN. Lat. Crime. Also an accu sation or charge of crime. CRIMEN FALSI. In the civil law. The crime of falsifying; which might be com mitted either by writing, as by the forgery of a will or other instrument; by words, as by bearing false witness, or perjury; and by acts, as by counterfeiting or adulterating the public money, dealing with false weights and measures, counterfeiting seals, and other fraudulent and deceitful practices. Dig. 48, 10; Hallifax, Civil Law, b. 3, c 12, nn. 56-59. In Scotch law. It has been defined: "A fraudulent imitation or suppression of truth, to the prejudice of another." Ersk. Inst. 4, 4, 66. At common law. Any crime which may injuriously affect the administration of jus tice, by the introduction of falsehood and fraud. 1 Greenl. Ev. § 373. In modern law. This phrase is not used as a designation of any specific crime, but as a general designation of a class of offenses, including all such as involve deceit or falsi fication; e. g., forgery, counterfeiting, using false weights or measures, perjury, etc. Includes forgery, perjury, subornation of perjury, and offenses affecting the public ad ministration of justice. 29 Ohio St. 358. Crimen falsi dicitur, cum quis illicituf, cui non fuerit ad heec data auctoritas, do sigillo regis, rapto vel invento, brevia, cartasve consignaverit. Fleta, lib. 1, e. 23. The crime of forgery is when any one illicitly, to whom power has not been given for such purposes, has signed writs or charters with the king's seal, either stolen or found. CRIMEN FURTI. The offense of theft. CRIMEN INCENDII. In old criminal law. The crime of burning, which included not only the modern crime of arson, (or burn ing of a house,) but also the burning of a man, beast, or other chattel. Britt. c. 9; Crabb, Eng. Law, 308. CRIMEN INNOMINATUM. The nameless crime. A term for buggery oi sodomy.

CBIM. CON. An abbreviation for "crim inal conversation," of very frequent use, de noting adultery. CRIME. A crime is an act committed or omitted, in violation of a public law, either forbidding or commanding it; a breach or violation of some public right or duty due to * whole community, considered as a com munity in its social aggregate capacity, as distinguished from a civil injury. "Crime" and "misdemeanor," properly speaking, are synonymous terms; though in common usage "crime" is made to denote such offenses as are of a deeper and more atrocious dye. 4 Bl. Comin. 5. Crimes are those wrongs which the gov ernment notices as injurious to the public, and punishes in what is called a "criminal proceeding," in its own name. 1 Bish. Crim. Law, § 43. A crime may be defined to be any act done in violation of those duties which an indi vidual owes to the community, and for the breach of which the law has provided that the offender shall make satisfaction to the public. Bell. A crime or public offense is an act commit ted or omitted in violation of a law forbid ding or commanding it, and to which is an nexed, upon conviction, either of the follow ing punishments: (1) Death; (2) impris onment; (3) fine; (4) removal from office; or (5) disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or profit in this state. Fen. Code Cal. § 15. A crime or misdemeanor shall consist in a violation of a public law, in the commission of which there shall be a union or joint oper ation of act and intention, or criminal neg ligence. Code Ga. 1882, § 4292. According to Blackstone, the word "crime" denotes such offenses as are of a deeper and more atrocious dye, while smaller faults and omissions of less consequence are called "mis demeanors." But the better use appears to be to make crime a term of broad and gen. eral import, including both felonies and mis demeanors, and hence covering all infrac tions of the criminal law. In this sense it is not a technical phrase, strictly speaking, {as "felony" and "misdemeanor" are,) but a convenient general term. In this sense, also, "offense" or "public offense" should be used as synonymous with it. The distinction between a crime and a tort or «ivil injury is that the former is a breach and vio lation of the public right and of duties due to the whole community considered as such, and in its loeial and aggregate capacity; whereas the latter

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