Criminal Law

<p>Criminal Law: Historical Ethical and Moral Foundations 3rd edition blends legal and moral reasoning in the examination of crimes and explores the history relating to jurisprudence and roots of criminal law. In order to fully grasp criminal law concepts students must go beyond mere rote memorization of the penal code and endeavor to understand where the laws originate from and how they have developed. This book fosters discussions of controversial issues and delivers abridged case law decisions that target the essence of appellate rulings.</p><p>Grounded in the Model Penal Code making the text national in scope this volume examines:</p><ul> <ul> <p> </p> <li>Why the criminal codes originated and the moral religious spiritual and human influences that led to our present system</li> <p> </p> <li>How crimes are described in the modern criminal justice model</li> <p> </p> <li>The two essential elements necessary for criminal culpability:<i> actus reus </i>(the act committed or omitted) and <i>mens rea</i> (the mind and intent of the actor)</li> <p> </p> <li>Offenses against the body resulting in death including murder manslaughter felony murder and negligent homicide</li> <p> </p> <li>Non-terminal criminal conduct against the body including robbery kidnapping false imprisonment assault and hate crimes</li> <p> </p> <li>Sexual assault rape necrophilia incest and child molestation</li> <p> </p> <li>Property offenses such as larceny/theft bribery forgery and embezzlement</li> <p> </p> <li>Crimes against the home including burglary trespassing arson and vandalism</li> </ul> </ul><p>The book also examines controversial public morality issues such as prostitution drug legalization obscenity and pornography. The final two chapters discuss inchoate offenses where the criminal act has not been completed and various criminal defenses such as legal insanity entrapment coercion self-defense and mistake of fact or law. Important keywords introduce each chapter and discussion questions and suggested readings appear at the end of each chapter prompting lively debate and further inquiry into a fascinating subject area that continues to evolve. Updated to include the latest developments in the law this book is appropriate for undergraduate students in criminal law and related courses.</p>