Legal Definitions - criminal sanction

Definition: A penalty or coercive measure that results from failure to comply with a law, rule, or order. It is a legally authorized post-conviction deprivation suffered by a human being through governmental action.

Examples:

• Penal Sanction: A fine or restitution attached to a criminal conviction.
• Death-Penalty Sanction: A court's order dismissing the suit or entering a default judgment in favor of the plaintiff because of extreme discovery abuses by a party or because of a party's action or inaction that shows an unwillingness to participate in the case.
• Shame Sanction: A criminal sanction designed to stigmatize or disgrace a convicted offender, and often to alert the public about the offender's conviction. An example is being required to post a sign in one's yard stating, “Convicted Child Molester Lives Here.”

The examples illustrate how criminal sanctions are imposed on individuals who fail to comply with the law or commit a crime. These sanctions can range from fines to more severe punishments like the death penalty. Shame sanctions are designed to publicly shame and stigmatize the offender, serving as a warning to others and alerting the public about the offender's conviction.