What best describes statutes?

• A. Written by legislature at state or federal level to require or forbid certain conduct
• B. Rulemaking by agencies
• C. Local ordinances adopted by cities
• D. Judicial opinions interpreting laws

Answer: (A)

Statutes are the written laws created by a legislative body at the state or federal level that set out what people may or may not do and specify the penalties for violations. They are the primary source of law and are codified in statutes. This is different from agency rulemaking, which produces regulations to implement statutes; local ordinances, which are laws enacted by cities or counties for local matters; and judicial opinions, which interpret statutes and apply them to specific cases. For example, a statute might prohibit theft, a regulation would explain how to comply with that law, a local ordinance might ban smoking in a city park, and a court decision would interpret what “theft” means in a particular situation.