Compare CRIMEN; DELICTUM. Criminal. 1, adj. Involving the commission of an offense against the public; also, pertaining to the law upon the subject of public wrongs or crimes. Opposed to civil, q. v. As, criminal or a criminal - act, action, case, contempt, conversation, court, information, intent, jurisdiction, law, libel, offense, procedure, process, prosecution, qq. v. 2, n. A person who has committed an indictable offense against the public. Compare CONVICT, 2. Criminate. To exhibit evidence of the commission of an indictable offense; to show or prove to be guilty of crime. No person "shall be compelled in any Criminal Case to be a witness against himself." 4 1 See Constitution, Amd. V. 2 See Constitution, Amd. VI. 3 See Constitution, Art. I. sec. 9, cl. 3; sec. 10, par. 1. As to criminal jurisdiction in the Federal courts see under COURTS, United States, and 26 Am. Law Reg. 703-9 (1887), cases. • Constitution, Amd. V. A witness cannot be compelled to answer a question which may expose him to a penalty or punishment.1 A statement made under compulsion cannot be used to show guilt: confessions (q. v.) are to be free and voluntary. But a party cannot claim this privilege. The danger to prosecution must be real. Exposure to civil liability, or to police prosecution, will not excuse. The court determines as to the reasonableness of the objection. Waiver of part of the privilege waives all. Pardon and statutes of indemnity do away with protection.3 If an accused person offers himself as a witness in his own behalf to disprove the charge he thereby waives his privilege as to all matters connected with the offense.4 An accused may be cross-questioned as to whether he has not been convicted of other charges of crime." A party on trial for violating an election law who testifies that he did not write names unlawfully entered in a registration book may be compelled, on cross-examination, to write the names in the presence of the jury, as evidence in rebuttal.. Excriminate. To free from a charge or suspicion of crime; to exculpate. Whence excriminatory. Incriminate. To charge with crime; to criminate; to inculpate. Whence incriminatory. Recriminate. To charge crime back upon an accuser; particularly, for the respondent in divorce proceedings to acknowledge the offense charged and to make a counteraccusation against the libelant. Whence recrimination, recriminative, recriminatory. Recrimination as a bar to divorce is not limited to a charge of the same nature as that alleged in the libel. It is sufficient if the counter-charge is a cause for divorce of equal grade. Thus, in Massachusetts, a respondent charged with adultery may reply that the libelant was at the time serving a sentence in the State prison.7 A violation of right or of a right; a privation of right; an injury; a tort, or a crime. In its broad sense, includes every injury to another, independent of the motives of the offender; but, in an instruction as to negligence, may not inappropriately refer to the failure to exercise the required degree of care where another may be injured.4 Legal wrong. Such transgression of right as the law takes cognizance of. Private wrong. An infringement or privation of a private or civil right belonging to an individual considered merely as an individual; frequently termed a civil injury.5 Public wrong. A breach and violation of a public right and duty, which affects the whole community, considered as a community; a crime or misdemeanor.5 Wrong-doer. A person who commits a civil injury; a tort-feasor. Wrongful; wrongfully. These words, referring to acts or intent, charge legal malice, q. v. They may import simply that a thing is contrary to law.6 Compare DELICTUM; ENORMIA; MALUM. See BENEFIT; CONTRIBUTION; CRIME; DAMAGES; INJURY; MERGER, 3; REMEDY; RIGHT; TORT; WAIVER; WILL, 1.