Legal Definitions - infamous crime

An infamous crime refers to a type of offense that, historically, was considered to involve significant moral turpitude, particularly those characterized by fraud, deceit, or a fundamental lack of honesty. Such crimes were traditionally viewed as so dishonorable that they could affect a person's standing or rights within the community.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Example 1: Perjury in Court

  Imagine a witness in a high-profile trial who deliberately provides false testimony under oath to mislead the jury and protect a guilty party. This act of lying, knowing it is untrue, is a direct assault on the truth-seeking process of the justice system.

  This illustrates an infamous crime because it involves a profound act of dishonesty (lying under oath) that undermines the integrity of legal proceedings and attempts to subvert justice through deceit.

• Example 2: Embezzlement by a Fiduciary

  Consider a financial advisor who is entrusted with managing a client's investment portfolio. Instead of investing the funds as agreed, the advisor secretly diverts a significant portion of the money into their personal accounts for their own benefit.

  This demonstrates an infamous crime because it involves a severe breach of trust and a dishonest appropriation of funds that were specifically entrusted to the advisor's care, relying on deceit to defraud the client.

• Example 3: Large-Scale Identity Theft and Fraud

  A criminal syndicate develops a sophisticated scheme to steal personal information from thousands of individuals, then uses that information to open fraudulent credit accounts and make unauthorized purchases, causing significant financial harm to the victims.

  This exemplifies an infamous crime as it is built entirely upon deceit, misrepresentation, and a systematic pattern of dishonesty to defraud numerous people and exploit their identities for illicit gain.