Laws and regulations define what acts are crimes , and how the government can punish them. Citizens report crimes and act as witnesses, but only the government can prosecute a crime or dismiss a case. Some acts, like assault, may break both civil and criminal laws. The government can prosecute the same offender for the same assault and ask for imprisonment, fines, restitution to the victim, further victim protection and rehabilitation programs. Criminal procedure refers to the rules that police, attorneys, and courts must follow before a person can be convicted and sentenced for a crime.
Criminal procedure includes court rules, laws, constitutional rights, and case law.
The rules cover the length of time until trial, the defendant's right to an attorney, the evidence used at trial and sentencing, the victim's rights, and much more. The American legal system grew from ancient biblical laws, English common law, and ideals of the American Revolution. People put their religious values, social ideas, and theories about government into the law. The American legal system tries to balance the competition between the interests of individuals and those of groups. In criminal matters, the Alaska constitution addresses protection of the public, reformation of the offender, the rights of defendants, and the rights of crime victims.