Criminal Law in Focus

Law students often find criminal law to be one of the most interesting, but also one of the most difficult courses. In Criminal Law: Model Problems and Outstanding Answers, Russell Christopher and Kathryn Christopher make criminal law both easier and more interesting by offering typical fact patterns and model answers, followed by an important self-assessment section.

Criminal Law in Focus (CLIF) provides an updated approach to the first-year criminal law casebook, with coverage and pedagogy that reflects modern criminal law practice. Alongside the traditional justificatory theories of punishment, the book considers punishment as a tool for social control, the rise of mass incarceration, and racial disparities in criminal enforcement. Using compelling cases that clearly articulate legal doctrine, this book covers core traditional offenses (like homicide and rape), as well as those that figure prominently in modern practice, but which have historically been absent from or deemphasized in the criminal law curriculum (like drug possession and property crimes). The Real Life Applications feature following each case poses a series of questions to spotlight important topics that might otherwise be overlooked, such as prosecutorial discretion and plea bargaining. Straightforward exposition helps students navigate their way around the differences and tensions between jurisdictional approaches to defining crimes and defenses. Features: CLIF goes beyond the traditional coverage of most casebooks, (which focus primarily on homicide offenses, rape, and (to a lesser extent) theft crimes). With expanded coverage of property offenses, an entire chapter on drug offenses, and coverage of contemporary issues (such as child pornography offenses and the public authority defense), CLIF reflects a wider, more inclusive perspective on criminal law today. Most criminal law casebooks place extended coverage of the elements of crime (mens rea, actus reus, and causation) at the front of the book, before covering individual criminal offenses—which requires students to grapple with these concepts in the abstract. By contrast, CLIF provides a brief, early introduction to the elements of crime (which can be covered in one class); it then pivots to an integrated discussion of specific criminal offenses and covers principles related to mens rea, actus reus, and causation in the context of those offenses. Chapter 10 also covers the interpretation of criminal statutes. At 550 pages, CLIF is much shorter than most criminal law casebooks, even though it includes topics (e.g., drug crimes) that aren’t covered in most criminal law casebooks. Professors and students will benefit from: Coverage of offenses that are either absent from, or deemphasized in, most other casebooks, CLIF helps professors to design a course that improves both bar-exam readiness and practice readiness. The inclusion of issues related to mass incarceration in the first chapter modernizes the traditional “purposes of punishment” material. CLIF retains coverage of justificatory theories of punishment, including the famous case of Dudley and Stephens; these theories aim to provide a morally defensible account of punishment and they are important. But they do not fully explain the reality of punishment in the United States today. By covering issues related to the rise of mass incarceration alongside the traditional theories of punishment, CLIF allows for a fuller discussion of the theory and reality of punishment. The book’s innovative approach to covering the elements of crimes has a number of benefits. It is much more efficient, from a teaching perspective; it will afford professors time to cover other topics that they can’t usually fit into the course (e.g., drug crimes and a more in-depth treatment of property offenses). Professors might spend 4 or 5 (or more) class sessions on the elements of crime before they can begin to cover individual offenses. This is not necessary: Most of these concepts are more effectively covered in the context of specific crimes (e.g., intent and mistakes of fact can both be introduced in the context of larceny; willful blindness can be addressed in the context of drug crimes). Then, after students have learned about these concepts in the context of individual offenses, the concepts can be tied together in 1 or 2 class sessions using the materials in Chapter 10. Covering difficult mens rea and actus reus concepts in depth before covering individual crimes (as most books do) often leaves students confused. They don’t have enough context to appreciate how the difficult mens rea problems fit into criminal law doctrine, for example. The structure in CLIF teaches students the basics first. Once they have that foundation, they are better able to grapple with the more complex mens rea questions in Chapter 10. The traditional approach can be frustrating for faculty, as well. It is a bit like trying to teach someone about the broad structure of mathematics before they have learned basic arithmetic. The approach in CLIF more accurately reflects criminal law practice. In a real-world case, the prosecutor and defense do not argue about mens rea or actus reus in the abstract. Instead, the parties are focused on the elements of the specific crime(s) at issue. When difficult mens rea or actus reus questions arise in practice, it is in the context of the elements of a particular crime.

This book is designed to be easy to use and to produce rewarding and insightful classroom discussion. The focus is on teachability, rather than encyclopedic coverage of the field. The book includes modern cases that reflect the current state of the law and older cases that help students understand and evaluate the modern approach. The book contains numerous hypotheticals designed to stimulate and encourage thought and discussion. The authors have also included materials to help students develop practice skills.

Hardbound - New, hardbound print book.

A book that students find interesting and instructors consider educationally valuable, this Fifth Edition of Contemporary Criminal Law combines traditional concepts with thought-provoking cases and engaging learning tools. Taking a casebook approach, the text covers both foundational and emerging legal topics such as terrorism, gangs, cybercrime, and hate crimes, illustrated by real-life examples that students connect with. Clear explanations of criminal law and defenses are complemented by provocative, well-edited cases followed by discussion questions to stimulate critical thinking and in-class discussion. The book provides a contemporary perspective on criminal law that encourages students to actively read and analyze the text. The Fifth Edition is enhanced throughout by new cases that offer the most up-to-date coverage of evolving legal opinions and developments in criminal law. New to This Edition New cases illuminate important concepts, including decisions on criminal acts, criminal intent, parties, corporate crime, kidnapping, identity theft, computer crime, prostitution, terrorism, and more. One or more new You Decide sections in most chapters clarify concepts to illustrate the complexity of legal analysis and enhance the interactive character of the text. Additional hypothetical problems are available on the companion site. New Crime in the News features look at recent events such as the criminal trial of Dylann Roof, the dark web, and the leaking of confidential government documents to help students apply important concepts to real-world scenarios. New and expanded discussions of critical topics cover the Second Amendment and gun control, the Trump administration's stance on marijuana, sentencing guidelines, and criminal defenses.

Investigative Criminal Procedure in Focus provides today’s law students with a thorough understanding of investigative criminal procedure. Using an innovative approach to teach the law, its pedagogical features not only facilitate the mastery of complex legal concepts, but provide hands-on exercises that give students the tools they need to succeed. The book is divided into two parts. Part I provides a general introduction to the world of criminal procedure. Chapter 1 sets the stage by explaining the differences between substantive criminal law and criminal procedure as well as the differences between the investigative and adjudicative stages of the criminal justice process. Chapter 2 focuses on the sources of criminal procedure law. Part II of the text begins the study of investigative criminal procedure. Chapters 3 to 6 each focus on a specific aspect of Fourth Amendment jurisprudence; Chapter 7 focuses on interrogation law; and Chapter 8 addresses eyewitness identifications. Professors and Students will benefit from: The Focus Casebook Series structure that uses author-written text to explain doctrine, openly and clearly. Many criminal procedure issues lend themselves to not only doctrinal discussion of the law, but also to broader policy-oriented topics. Berger takes a balanced approach that allows professors to choose which policy issues to cover in class. Thoughtfully selected cases, framed by introductory questions and post-case analysis, that teach students key concepts. Real Life Applications, Applying the Rules, and Criminal Procedure in Practice hypotheticals, frequently based on real cases, that provide opportunities for critical analysis and application of concepts covered in the chapters. A discussion in Chapter 1 of competing values in criminal procedure as well as the roles of race, class, and gender in criminal law. Complete and thoughtful discussion Fourth Amendment including: What constitutes a Fourth Amendment search and seizure Who is covered by the Fourth Amendment The state action and standing requirements (Chapter 3) Probable cause and warrants (Chapter 4) Exceptions to the warrant requirement (Chapter 5) The exclusionary rule (Chapter 6)

The Impact of Regulatory Law on American Criminal Justice is designed to provide the reader with an overview of American criminal justice from the perspective of regulatory law enforcement. Government's responsibility to defend the life and property of its citizens from victimization is accomplished through a code of criminal law enforced by a criminal justice system. In addition to laws that protect citizens, the government also enacts laws that criminalize certain behaviors that are deemed to be inconsistent with the best interests of society. These are called regulatory laws, and their effect on the criminal justice system and society are the main focus of the book. Each of the book's three sections addresses one aspect of the overall problem. The first looks at the underlying motivations to enact regulatory laws, particularly those dealing with drugs, prostitution and firearms and the evolution of their enforcement over time. The effect of regulatory law enforcement on each part of the criminal justice system, the police, courts and corrections is examined in the second section of the book. The final section provides insight into the societal outcomes associated with the enforcement of regulatory laws. The book reveals a number of unanticipated consequences resulting from regulatory laws. Most notable is the criminal justice system's lack of resources to effectively enforce and process violations of law. Police do not have enough officers to fully enforce all laws. Yet, they make more arrests than the courts can adequately adjudicate. The judicial process is so overwhelmed that it must rely on plea negotiations in order to circumvent the lengthy trial process thereby reducing criminal charges and/or terms of incarceration. Also, more people are convicted than the correctional facilities can house. Even so, America incarcerates a higher proportion of its population than any other country. Other criminal justice consequences of regulatory law include police corruption, overcrowded prisons and the domination by prison gangs as well as high rates of recidivism. Societal costs of incarceration are numerous and have had a particularly profound effect on minorities and disadvantaged communities in terms of poverty, lost human potential, contagious diseases both in and out of prison, 1.5 million children of current inmates and the perpetuation of a social underclass. The Teacher's Manual is available electronically on a CD or via email. Please contact Beth Hall at [email protected] to request a copy. PowerPoint slides are available upon adoption. Sample slides from the full, 171-slide presentation are available to view here. Email [email protected] for more information.

Men have always dominated the most basic precepts of the criminal legal world – its norms, its priorities and its character. Men have been the regulators and the regulated: the main subjects and objects of criminal law and by far the more dangerous sex. And yet men, as men, are still hardly talked about as the determining force within criminal law or in its exegesis. This book brings men into sharp focus, as the pervasively powerful interest group, whose wants and preoccupations have shaped the discipline. This constitutes the 'man problem' of criminal law. This new analysis probes the unacknowledged thinking of generations of influential legal men, which includes the psychological and legal techniques that have obscured the operation of bias, even to the legal experts themselves. It explains how men's interests have influenced the most cherished legal norms, especially the rules of human contact, which were designed to protect men from other men, while specifically securing lawful sexual access to at least one woman. The aim is to test the discipline's broadest commitments to civility, and its trajectory towards the final resolution, when men and women were declared to be equal and equivalent legal persons. In the process it exposes the morally and intellectually limiting consequences of male power.

This casebook provides comprehensive treatment of international criminal law in a problem-oriented way. It draws widely from the jurisprudence of the various international and hybrid criminal tribunals, United Nations bodies, regional human rights institutions, domestic courts, alternative or traditional courts, and transitional justice institutions. Its focus is on the core international crimes within the jurisdiction of the ICC, supplemented by chapters on the standalone crimes of torture and terrorism. This edition includes substantially more material from the International Criminal Court, including revised materials on the crime of aggression, and an entire chapter devoted to the creation and structure of the ICC.