Topics include principles of criminal punishment, sources of the criminal law, constitutional limits on the criminal law, legality, proportionality, burdens of proof, presumptions, actus reus, mens rea, strict liability, mistakes of fact and law, causation, concurrence of elements, defenses, justifications and excuses, self-defense, defense of others, defense of property and habitation, law enforcement, necessity, duress, intoxication, insanity, diminished capacity, attempt, solicitation, conspiracy, liability for the acts of others, criminal homicide, theft, and rape.
This hornbook offers a detailed, comprehensive treatment of criminal law. An introduction to criminal law, sources and general limitations, constitutional limits on power to create crimes, and criminal jurisdiction are covered in Part One. General principles of mental states, concurrences and consequences of acts, insanity defense and its procedural considerations, excuses and other conditions, justification, solicitation and attempt, conspiracy, liability for the conduct of another are the topics of Part Two. Part Three addresses offenses against the person which include murder, suicide assistance, physical harm and apprehension thereof, rape, and confinement. Part Four is about offenses against personal and real property. In the appendix are tips on using Westlaw to research criminal law.
Published as part of the West/Thomson Reuters Concise Hornbook series, the author provides fewer references to cases and secondary sources than in his hornbook, Criminal Law. In this text, there is less discussion of particular crimes with the exception of homicide, rape, and theft. There is discussion of the principles of mental state, acts and their consequences, defenses to crime, inchoate criminality, and liability for the conduct of others.
Aspects of punishment is the topic of Part I. Part II addresses crimes against the person and property in addition to causation and defenses. Covered in Part III are mens rea (intent) and actus reus. Insanity and other defenses are the subjects of Part IV. Burden of proof and presumptions and inferences are written about in Part V. Attempt, accountability for the acts of others, conspiracy, and corporate criminal liability are discussed in Part VI. The limitations of the criminal law are discussed in Part VII.
Singer, Richard G. and John Q. La Fond, Criminal Law: Examples and Explanations (4th ed. 2007). Reserve, KF9219.3 .S54 2007
There are chapters on the sources and limitations of the criminal law, the purposes of punishment, actus reus, the doctrines of mens rea, mistake, strict liability, causation, homicide, rape, theft, solicitation, attempt, conspiracy, complicity, defenses, acts in emergency, and defenses based on individual characteristics. Each discussion of the topic is followed by examples for the reader to work through along with explanations of the examples.
Electronic Study Aid: CALI
To view an annotated listing of the CALI lessons available for criminal law, select “Ciminal Law ” under the heading “CALI Topics.”
