Crimes are sometimes broadly classified or categorized by their nature—such as (1) crimes that are harmful to the victim’s body (assault, battery, rape, and murder) and are known as crimes against the person; and (2) crimes that are harmful to the victim by depriving him of his property or damaging his property and are known as crimes against property (criminal trespassing, burglary, robbery, bribery, blackmail, theft, arson).

In California, crimes are indeed categorized by their nature, aligning with the broad classifications mentioned. Crimes against the person, such as assault, battery, rape, and murder, are offenses that cause physical or psychological harm to individuals. These are covered under various sections of the California Penal Code, with each crime having specific definitions and penalties. For example, assault (Penal Code 240) and battery (Penal Code 242) have distinct legal elements and consequences. Similarly, rape (Penal Code 261) and murder (Penal Code 187) are serious felonies with severe penalties, including life imprisonment or the death penalty for certain types of murder. On the other hand, crimes against property, such as criminal trespass (Penal Code 602), burglary (Penal Code 459), robbery (Penal Code 211), bribery (Penal Code 67 and 68), blackmail (referred to as extortion under Penal Code 518), theft (Penal Code 484), and arson (Penal Code 451), involve the deprivation of property or damage to it. These crimes are also defined in the Penal Code with varying degrees of severity and corresponding punishments, ranging from fines and restitution to imprisonment.