The criminal law sets the acceptable limits of conduct in society. Everyone is expected to obey the criminal law under penalty of punishment. Each state and the federal government has its own set of criminal laws.
Criminal law consists of the criminal laws themselves and the law of criminal procedure.
The criminal law consists of the legal rules defining criminal conduct and how it is punished. Criminal procedure mainly consists of the procedures used to prosecute a crime and the rights of the defendant. See The Criminal Justice Process . Criminal laws must precisely define the conduct that they prohibit so that a person of average intelligence can understand the forbidden conduct and can conform their conduct to the law. A criminal law that is difficult to interpret is unconstitutional and unenforceable.