§ 775.012, Fla. Stat. · Chapter 775. GENERAL PENALTIES; REGISTRATION OF CRIMINALS
General purposes.
Text — 2026 Florida Statutes
The general purposes of the provisions of the code are:
(1) To proscribe conduct that improperly causes or threatens substantial harm to individual or public interest.
(2) To give fair warning to the people of the state in understandable language of the nature of the conduct proscribed and of the sentences authorized upon conviction.
(3) To define clearly the material elements constituting an offense and the accompanying state of mind or criminal intent required for that offense.
(4) To differentiate on reasonable grounds between serious and minor offenses and to establish appropriate disposition for each.
(5) To safeguard conduct that is without fault or legitimate state interest from being condemned as criminal.
(6) To ensure the public safety by deterring the commission of offenses and providing for the opportunity for rehabilitation of those convicted and for their confinement when required in the interests of public protection.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
s. 2, ch. 74-383; s. 1, ch. 77-174.
Source of truth
- Edition
- 2026 Florida Statutes
- Official file
- https://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0775/0775.html
- Text hash
- sha256 20d97a06b9139cb461f2e2f2f3ab86c5bf515be4638303af288b42fd414e3525
- Composed by
- compose_v2.py 2026-10-04: the Legislature's structured HTML read in document order; verify_v2.py's independent reading agrees character for character
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Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.