• Louisiana state criminal laws are in part historically based.criminal theme - gangster with a gun studio isolated image by dinostock from Fotolia.com
  
  Title 14 of the Louisiana state code defines all crimes, criminal activities and the resultant punishments for the state. The Title includes hundreds of sections, each of which deal with the intricacies of crimes. The code differentiates crimes and punishments based on a number of extenuating circumstances, including intent, effect and severity. The laws exist not just to define punishment and exact it on criminals, but to protect the citizens of Louisiana from negligence and harm.
  
  

Definitions

• Louisiana state law provides three definitions for criminal conduct. The first stipulates that any act producing criminal consequences, or carried out with criminal intent, is criminal conduct. The second definition provides that an act of failure producing criminal consequences with or without criminal intent is criminal conduct. According to the third definition, criminal negligence leading to criminal consequence is criminal conduct. A crime is defined by Louisiana state code as any criminal act, as per the above definitions or the Louisiana constitution.
  
  

Criminal Death Laws

• The Louisiana state code provides distinct sections on 14 crimes of or related to death. These categories range from murder to vehicular manslaughter to partial birth abortions. Feticide, or the practice of killing a fetus in any state of development that does not include an abortion performed at the consent of the mother, in the first degree carries a punishment of up 15 years of "hard labor," reads RS 14:32.6. According to RS 14:32.12, the criminal assistance of suicide, which includes both helping citizens commit suicide and encouraging them to do so, is punishable by up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
  
  

Racially Motivated Crimes

• The Louisiana state code provides standard definitions and punishments for hate crimes. Hate crimes are crimes perpetrated on account of a victim's genuine or supposed race, age, gender, religion, color, creed, disability, sexual orientation, national origin or ancestry. However, because of Louisiana's turbulent racial past, other laws have been enacted to prevent racial discrimination. Burning crosses on a lawn or any other public place is a criminal offense (RS 14:40.4), as is the brazen and public display of a noose (RS 14:40.5). Both of these laws owe their existence to KKK activity in the state.