Guide for First-Year Law Students: Criminal Law

Hornbook from West Academic.

Introduction - Donna Coker & Robert Weisberg; The story of Keller: the irrelevance of the legality principle in American criminal law - Markus D. Dubber; The story of Robinson: from revolutionary constitutional doctrine to modest ban on status crimes - Erik Luna; The story of Staples and the innocent machine gun owner: the good, the bad and the dangerous - Joseph E. Kennedy; The story of Berry: when hot blood cools - Susan D. Rozelle; "The look in his eyes": the story of Rusk and rape reform - Jeannie Suk; The story of Wanrow: the reasonable woman and the law of self-defense - Donna Coker & Lindsay C. Harrison; The story of Clark: the incredible shrinking insanity defense - Janine Young Kim; The story of Jacobson: catching criminals or creating crime? - Gabriel J. Chin; The story of Rizzo: the shifting landscape of attempt - Robert Weisberg; The story of Tally: Judge Tally and the problem of the superfluous accomplice - Leo Katz; The story of Rahman: religious advocacy at the intersection of crime and free speech - Mario L. Barnes; The story of Ewing: three strikes laws and the limits of the Eighth Amendment proportionality review - Sara Sun Beale

Part of the Examples and Explanations series from Aspen.

A very short introduction; Nature of criminal law; Elements of a crime; Strict liability crimes; Mistake of fact; Mistake of law; Causation; Homicide : an overview; Homicide : murder; Manslaughter; Felony murder and misdemeanor manslaughter (unlawful law doctrine)-- Attempt; Solicitation and other inchoate offenses; Accomplice liability; Conspiracy; Introduction to defenses, self-defense, and defense of another; Defense of property, law enforcement defenses, and necessity; Duress; Insanity; Intoxication, infancy, and entrapment; Rape; Theft crimes; Other crimes against person and property; Sentencing and the death penalty; Closing closers

Introduction to general considerations; Sources and general limitations; Constitutional limits on power to create crimes; Mental states; Acts ; Concurrence and consequences; Insanity defense; Insanity: procedural considerations; Excuses and other conditions; Justification; Solicitation and attempt; Conspiracy; Parties ; Liability for conduct of another; Murder; Manslaughter ; Suicide assistance; Rape; Theft

Multiple choice and short answer questions and answers.