Most ordinary crimes are punished by states, not the federal government

Evidence

The federal government has its own code, which is fairly specialized. It does not cover most ordinary crimes (the states, not the federal government, punish murder, arson, drunk driving, and the like). The national government punishes violations of federal laws, like smuggling or tax fraud. The District of Columbia has its own criminal code, much like that of the states. Some acts can be both federal and state crimes—​this is true, for example, of many drug offenses. — Lawrence M. Friedman and Grant M. Hayden, American Law, 784

Categorization

• XREF: Pays off the earlier chapter claim (ch45) about state sovereignty and the division of powers; grounds the reader’s federalism vocabulary. — connects to: Most criminal and civil cases are heard in state rather than federal courts. — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 288

Broader Connections

• Most criminal and civil cases are heard in state rather than federal courts. #corroborates (0.95) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 288