Criminal Law An Introduction to Key Concepts and Cases

Criminal Law offers a unique hybrid approach to learning criminal law. Most textbooks oversimply the law by presenting the "black letter law" for major and defenses, but they rarely present any corresponding exploration of the gray areas that exist beyond the basic rules of law. Conversely, casebooks present numerous edited judicial opinions, often with context. Criminal Law takes the best from each of these approaches by merging textual pedagogy and case analyses into a coherent framework that includes legal history, social context, and public policy.

Taking a historical approach, legal expert Henry F. Fradella presents the law as it evolved from English common law and compares it with the modern statutory approach to crimes set forth in the American Law Institute's highly influential Model Penal Code. After providing such comparative pedagogy for each crime or defense, Criminal Law presents 1-2 edited cases that allow the reader to contrast how the "black letter law" plays out in the real world. After each case, a series of questions challenge students to engage in critical thinking about the case and its implications as precedent. Finally, chapters contain a number of additional pedagogical features that focus on public policy concerns and statutory interpretation skills using penal laws from a variety of U.S. states.

Henry F. Fradella is Professor in and Associate Director of the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University, where he also holds affiliate appointments as Professor of Law and as a core faculty member in the interdisciplinary Ph.D. program on law and behavioral science.
Dr. Fradella researches substantive and procedural criminal law, the dynamics of legal decision-making, and the consequences of changes in legal processes.

Preface

Chapter One: Introduction to Criminal Law and Punishment
Chapter Two: Constitutional Restraints on Criminalization
Chapter Three: Evidence, Acts, and Omissions
Chapter Four: Intent and Causation
Chapter Five: Solicitation, Faciliation, and Attempt
Chapter Six: Aiding and Abetting, Obstructing Justice, and Conspiracy
Chapter Seven: Homicide
Chapter Eight: Rape
Chapter Nine: Other Sex Crimes
Chapter Ten: Other Crimes Against the Person
Chapter Eleven: Theft, Robbery, and Crimes Against Property
Chapter Twelve: Public Order Offenses and Crimes Against the State
Chapter Thirteen: Defense That Negate or Mitigate Mens Rea and Procedural Defenses
Chapter Fourteen: Defense of Excuse
Chapter Fifteen: Defenses of Justification

Index