Full Description
An Interdisciplinary Approach
Criminal Law provides students with an integrated framework for understanding the U.S. criminal justice system with a diverse and inclusive interdisciplinary approach and thematic focus. Authors Katheryn Russell-Brown and Angela J. Davis go beyond the law and decisions in court cases to consider and integrate issues of race, gender, and socio-economic status with their discussion of criminal law. Material from the social sciences is incorporated to highlight the intersection between criminal law and key social issues. Case excerpts and detailed case summaries, used to highlight important principles of criminal law, are featured throughout the text. The coverage is conceptual and practical, showing students how the criminal law applies in the "real world"—not just within the pages of a textbook.
Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction and Overview of Criminal Law
Criminal Law Terms and Concepts
Sources of Criminal Law
Classifications, Distinctions, and Limitations in Criminal Law
Crime and People in the Criminal Justice System
The Structure of the Criminal Justice System
Case Briefing
Chapter 2: Constitutional Limits on Criminal Laws
First Amendment
Second Amendment
Fifth Amendment
Eighth Amendment
Fourteenth Amendment
Right to Privacy
Chapter 3: The Elements of a Crime
A Voluntary Act (Actus Reus)
Guilty State of Mind (Mens Rea)
Concurrence and Causation
Strict Liability
Chapter 4: Incomplete Crimes
Attempt
Solicitation
Conspiracy
Merger Doctrine
Other Incomplete Offenses
Chapter 5: Theft and Other Property Offenses
Larceny and Theft
Embezzlement
False Pretenses
Burglary
Arson
White-Collar Crime
Chapter 6: Public Order Crimes and Offenses Against Public Decency
Public Order Crimes
Crimes Against Public Decency
Chapter 7: Rape and Other Violent Crimes
Rape and Other Sexual Assaults
Robbery
Kidnapping
Assault and Battery
Chapter 8: Criminal Homicide
Definitions
Intentional Killings
Unintentional Killings
Felony Murder
Capital Punishment
Chapter 9: Justification Defenses
Types of Defenses
Defensive Force
Duress and Necessity
Chapter 10: Excuse Defenses
Competency and Insanity
Infancy
Intoxication
Syndrome "Defenses"
Cultural Defenses
Chapter 11: Punishment and Sentencing
Punishment
Prisoners' Rights
Sentencing
Chapter 12: State-Involved Crimes
Crimes Against the State
Crimes Committed by Public Officials
