Well, if they have to discern the two meanings, it’s because it might have a different meaning in different contexts, at least that’s how I’d understand it.
The context of “Altman is a criminal” fits neither, as it’s not a publicly known fact that he has commited a crime, nor has he been convicted of one.
Allegations that his sister made are just that, allegations, it does not make him a criminal.
Let’s look at the definition in Merriam Webster: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/criminal
You’re disregarding #1 completely for some reason and it’s not evident to why.
Well, if they have to discern the two meanings, it’s because it might have a different meaning in different contexts, at least that’s how I’d understand it.
The context of “Altman is a criminal” fits neither, as it’s not a publicly known fact that he has commited a crime, nor has he been convicted of one.
Allegations that his sister made are just that, allegations, it does not make him a criminal.