California was even a state, yet. There were no laws. Anyone who found gold was quickly surrounded by other prospectors. Claim laws had to be set. In some camps, a claim was on 10 square feet, and each person was allowed one claim.
Camps set up claims officers to patrol mines and settle disputes.
Violence and crime were on the rise. Law and order was in the hands of the people. Punishment for crimes was often fast and simple. Small crimes were punished by flogging with a whip. For more serious crimes, such as robbery and murder, the punishment was hanging.