The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 10 letter word RUM-RUNNER
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
R
U
M
-
R
U
N
N
E
R
More clues leading to the result RUM-RUNNER
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "one breaking the law with spirit" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case one breaking the law with spirit = rum-runner.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.