# Let's rank all crimes in order of badness **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 5, 2008, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rank-all-crimes-in-order-of-badness/462245 "2008-09-05T23:13:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WF\_Tomba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d9b06d/32.png) [@WF\_Tomba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WF_Tomba)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rank-all-crimes-in-order-of-badness/462245/1 "2008-09-05T23:13:42Z")
Starting with the least serious. This is structured like a game, but it’s actually a debate. Please add a crime to the list, reorder the list as you see fit, and re-post it. I will start. Jaywalking Murder ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rank-all-crimes-in-order-of-badness/462245/2 "2008-09-05T23:16:05Z")
Jaywalking Theft Murder ETA: What about gradations of crimes? Like, shoplifting a candybar versus embezzling millions? Or killing a person in the heat of the moment versus calculatedly killing lots of people? ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rank-all-crimes-in-order-of-badness/462245/3 "2008-09-05T23:17:36Z")
Jaywalking Theft Stranger Rape Murder ---
**Author:** ![A\_shameful\_cracka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@A\_shameful\_cracka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_shameful_cracka)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rank-all-crimes-in-order-of-badness/462245/4 "2008-09-05T23:19:18Z")
Jaywalking Theft Stranger Rape Date Rape Murder ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rank-all-crimes-in-order-of-badness/462245/5 "2008-09-05T23:21:22Z")
Drug possession (enough for personal use only) Jaywalking Theft Stranger Rape Date Rape Murder ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rank-all-crimes-in-order-of-badness/462245/6 "2008-09-05T23:22:11Z")
Is jaywalking really a crime? Tresspassing Theft DUI Assault Kidnapping (real kidnapping. NOT parents who take off with their own kids due to custody battles.) DUI resulting in injury Treason not resulting in death DUI resulting in death Rape Murder Treason resulting in death ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rank-all-crimes-in-order-of-badness/462245/7 "2008-09-05T23:24:05Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Is jaywalking really a crime? I got a ticket back in '91 that cost me $65. Or it would have, if I’d ever paid it. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rank-all-crimes-in-order-of-badness/462245/8 "2008-09-05T23:24:55Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Tresspassing > Theft > DUI > Assault > Kidnapping (real kidnapping. NOT parents who take off with their own kids due to custody battles.) > DUI resulting in injury > Treason not resulting in death > DUI resulting in death > Rape > Murder > Treason resulting in death Treason preventing people from voting or falsifying results ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rank-all-crimes-in-order-of-badness/462245/9 "2008-09-05T23:26:27Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Is jaywalking really a crime? > > Tresspassing > Theft > DUI > Assault > Kidnapping (real kidnapping. NOT parents who take off with their own kids due to custody battles.) > DUI resulting in injury > Treason not resulting in death > DUI resulting in death > Rape > Murder > Treason resulting in death Drug possession (enough for personal use only) Jaywalking Theft Stranger Rape Date Rape Murder Not following the rules in the OP 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rank-all-crimes-in-order-of-badness/462245/10 "2008-09-05T23:30:05Z")
Not following the rules in the OP Jaywalking Theft Drug possession (enough for personal use only) Date Rape Stranger Rape Murder Treason ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rank-all-crimes-in-order-of-badness/462245/11 "2008-09-05T23:33:09Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > Not following the rules in the OP > Jaywalking > Theft > Drug possession (enough for personal use only) > Date Rape > Stranger Rape > Murder > Treason What’s your reasoning behind making drug possession worse than theft? ---
**Author:** ![RyJae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9d8465/32.png) [@RyJae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RyJae)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rank-all-crimes-in-order-of-badness/462245/12 "2008-09-05T23:34:45Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > What’s your reasoning behind making drug possession worse than theft? At least he corrected IMHO the order of rape. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rank-all-crimes-in-order-of-badness/462245/13 "2008-09-05T23:37:24Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > I got a ticket back in '91 that cost me $65. Or it would have, if I’d ever paid it. You can get a ticket for a civil infraction. I’m not really sure if it qualifies as a “crime”. Maybe it does; I’m asking. Edit: How is date rape worse than stranger rape? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rank-all-crimes-in-order-of-badness/462245/14 "2008-09-05T23:39:11Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > You can get a ticket for a civil infraction. I’m not really sure if it qualifies as a “crime”. Maybe it does; I’m asking. Depends on which [definition](http://www.lectlaw.com/def/c330.htm) of “crime” you use. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rank-all-crimes-in-order-of-badness/462245/15 "2008-09-05T23:39:16Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Not following the rules in the OP In this case, following the rules in the OP makes it a game. We’re in the debating forum. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rank-all-crimes-in-order-of-badness/462245/16 "2008-09-05T23:40:40Z")
**Moderator’s Note:** What exactly is the debate here? It looks more like a poll than anything else. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rank-all-crimes-in-order-of-badness/462245/17 "2008-09-05T23:41:50Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > In this case, following the rules in the OP makes it a game. We’re in the debating forum. Debating is still possible, as subsequent posts have shown, but adding one crime at a time makes focused discussion more likely, IMHO. But I was mostly just teasing you; that really wasn’t meant to go on the list! ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rank-all-crimes-in-order-of-badness/462245/18 "2008-09-05T23:41:50Z")
Not following the rules in the OP littering Jaywalking Theft Drug possession (enough for personal use only) Date Rape Stranger Rape Murder Treason typo ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rank-all-crimes-in-order-of-badness/462245/19 "2008-09-05T23:46:28Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > What’s your reasoning behind making drug possession worse than theft? I had to think about it, because it depends, obviously, on the drug and the theft. Having a marajuana cigarette obviously isn’t worse than grand theft auto. But considering that a lot of drugs are addictive, which means that someone arrested for drug possession is likely to reoffend, that it isn’t uncommon for drug addicts to steal to afford their drugs, and that drug use has a higher social cost than theft (in the harm that drug users do to themselves, their family/friends/associates, and communities, as well as the violence associated with the drug trade), it makes sense to me to rank drug possession higher than theft. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rank-all-crimes-in-order-of-badness/462245/20 "2008-09-05T23:46:30Z")
Drug possession (enough for personal use only) Not following the rules in the OP littering Jaywalking Theft Battery Date Rape Stranger Rape Murder Treason (Obviously, I don’t consider _owning_ (not using) drugs to be bad at all. Crimes incited by drug addiction are, of course, a separate issue.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rank-all-crimes-in-order-of-badness/462245.md?page=2)