Alright when talking about "Against the law" and "illegal" I have one example if you can clarify for me
For example having a bank account which is $25,000 dollars overdrawn. Is that against the law or illegal? And can they throw you in jail for it?
Answers:
"against the law" or "illegal" mean that you've violated a provision of law. Most of the time, that provision will be a "statute" -- a law written by the legislature and signed by the executive. For example, there's a state statute that says that you can't go over 20 miles per hour in a school zone. Driving even 1 mph over that limit is "illegal". It's "against the law" to speed.
Most municipalities (i.e. cities) have "ordinances" that have the effect of law. Most municipalities have an ordinance that says that you can't throw trash on the ground, or must throw trash in designated recepticles only. Throwing an apple core in the pond is littering. It violates the ordinance; it's "againt the law" even though it may not result in a very severe penalty (probably a small fine, perhaps the community service of cleaning up the park where you littered). It's against the law even though you may not get caught, or an officer may not choose to cite or arrest you, or a prosecutor may not decide to charge you with the violation. Most of the time, a violation of a statute is a bright line, black/white, on/off test -- did you do what was prohibited or did you not?
(Now, there are unwritten laws, called the "common law" that often deal with contractual issues and personal injury "torts" like negligence. Oftentimes those violations also violate a statute, but whether you breach a contract is technically "illegal" is a different story that is not really on point here.)
To your question, there are fraud laws on the books that make it a crime to knowingly write a check or request a withdrawal from your bank account knowing that you have insufficient funds. The more times you do it, and the higher the amount, the worse the penalty. Conversely, I'm not sure, but there is probably NOT a law that says accidentally withdrawing too many funds is a crime. It's just a breach of contract between you and your bank (for which the bank can seek fees to cover the overdraft). And note, too, that you're not going to jail because you'd have a debt to the bank (we eliminated debtor's prisons 200 years ago); rather, you go to jail because you attempted to defraud the person you wrote teh check to as well as your bank.
Does this all make sense? Violation of a statute, no matter how minute, is "illegal" or "against the law." There are statutes for just about everything (like committing bank fraud or check fraud). But just because something's "against the law" (like speeding or littering) doesn't mean necessarily that there is a harsh penalty, or that you would be arrested or tried for the crime.
Overdrawing your account is against the law. Not immediately repaying the money is illegal and you can go to prison for the crime.
I think you're confusing yourself.
Anything that is illegal is 'against the law'. They mean the same thing.
Maybe you're thinking of 'against the rules'. ie. against the rules of the bank.
The definition of 'illegal' is 'against the law'. They are the same thing.
And if your bank goes after you, yes. You can end up in jail.
I THOUGHT ILL-EAGLE WAS A SICK BIRD.
Overdrawing a bank account and littering are both illegal and against the law.
It depends on the state and if it is a forfeiture, misdemeanor, or felony. Look at your states statute book and look up the exact offence. Against the law is more of a civilian term used in the movies or on the news. Illegal is what it says, a no, no.
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