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A social process perspective that sees continued crime as a consequence of the limited opportunities for acceptable behavior that follow from the negative responses of society to those defined as offenders.
landmark case
A precedent-setting court decision that produces substantial changes in both the understanding of the requirements of due process and in the practical day-to-day operations of the justice system.
larceny-theft (UCR)
The unlawful taking or attempted taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property, from the possession or constructive possession of another. Motor vehicles are excluded. Larceny is the most common of the eight major offenses, although probably only a small percentage of all larcenies are actually reported to the police because of the small dollar amounts involved.
latent evidence
Evidence of relevance to a criminal investigation that is not readily seen by the unaided eye.
law
A rule of conduct, generally found enacted in the form of a statute, that proscribes or mandates certain forms of behavior. Statutory law is often the result of moral enterprise by interest groups that, through the exercise of political power, are successful in seeing their valued perspectives enacted into law.
law enforcement
The generic name for the activities of the agencies responsible for maintaining public order and enforcing the law, particularly the activities of preventing, detecting, and investigating crime and apprehending criminals.
law enforcement agency
A federal, state, or local criminal justice agency or identifiable subunit whose principal functions are the prevention, detection, and investigation of crime and the apprehension of alleged offenders.
Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (LEAA)
A now-defunct federal agency established under Title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to funnel federal funding to state and local law enforcement agencies.
law enforcement officer
An officer employed by a law enforcement agency who is sworn to carry out law enforcement duties.
lawyer
See attorney.
lay witness
An eyewitness, character witness, or other person called on to testify who is not considered an expert. Lay witnesses must testify to facts only and may not draw conclusions or express opinions.
learning organization
"An organization skilled at creating, acquiring, and transferring knowledge and at modifying its behavior to reflect new knowledge and insights."30
legal cause
A legally recognizable cause. A legal cause must be demonstrated in court in order to hold an individual criminally liable for causing harm.
legal counsel
See attorney.
legalistic style
A style of policing marked by a strict concern with enforcing the precise letter of the law. Legalistic departments may take a hands-off approach to disruptive or problematic behavior that does not violate the criminal law.
legalization
Elimination of the laws and associated criminal penalties that prohibit the production, sale, distribution, and possession of a controlled substance.
less-lethal weapon
A weapon that is designed to disable, capture, or immobilize—but not kill—a suspect. Occasional deaths do result from the use of such weapons, however.
lex talionis
The law of retaliation, often expressed as "an eye for an eye" or "like for like."
life course perspective
An approach to explaining crime and deviance that investigates developments and turning points in the course of a person's life over time.
line operations
In police organizations, field activities or supervisory activities directly related to day-to-day police work.
30. David A. Garvin, "Building a Learning Organization," Harvard Business Review (1993), pp. 78Ð91.
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