Criminal Laws

Providing a complete view of U.S. legal principles, this book addresses distinct issues as well as the overlays and connections between them. It presents as a cohesive whole the interrelationships between constitutional principles, statutory criminal laws, procedural law, and common-law evidentiary doctrines. This fully revised and updated new edition also includes discussion questions and hypothetical scenarios to check learning. Constitutional principles are the foundation upon which substantive criminal law, criminal procedure law, and evidence laws rely. The concepts of due process, legality, specificity, notice, equality, and fairness are intrinsic to these three disciplines, and a firm understanding of their implications is necessary for a thorough comprehension of the topic. This book examines the tensions produced by balancing the ideals of individual liberty embodied in the Constitution against society’s need to enforce criminal laws as a means of achieving social control, order, and safety. Relying on his first-hand experience as a law enforcement official and criminal defense attorney, the author presents issues that highlight the difficulties in applying constitutional principles to specific criminal justice situations. Each chapter of the text contains a realistic problem in the form of a fact pattern that focuses on one or more classic criminal justice issues to which readers can relate. These problems are presented from the points of view of citizens caught up in a police investigation and of police officers attempting to enforce the law within the framework of constitutional protections. This book is ideal for courses in criminal law and procedure that seek to focus on the philosophical underpinnings of the system.

The Model Rules of Professional Conduct provides an up-to-date resource for information on legal ethics. Federal, state and local courts in all jurisdictions look to the Rules for guidance in solving lawyer malpractice cases, disciplinary actions, disqualification issues, sanctions questions and much more. In this volume, black-letter Rules of Professional Conduct are followed by numbered Comments that explain each Rule's purpose and provide suggestions for its practical application. The Rules will help you identify proper conduct in a variety of given situations, review those instances where discretionary action is possible, and define the nature of the relationship between you and your clients, colleagues and the courts.

The ninth edition of Criminal Law for Police Officers presents the historical concepts fundamental to understanding criminal law. The book is written in a non-legalese format, which makes it very student friendly. Areas covered include jurisdiction, matters of responsibility and accountability, and general principles about the criminal act. Book jacket.

Available for convenient bundling with any Wadsworth Criminal Law text or for purchase as a stand-alone item, this state-specific guide assists students in their exploration of Florida laws and cases and features chapter introductions, overviews of codes and implications, and exercises for Florida-specific penal codes.

The first of its kind, this book has taken on the monumental task of explaining what the criminal statutes mean. It contains hundreds of criminal statutes--in complete verbatim text--ranging from the well-known, basic offenses to the uncommon criminal laws that are rarely invoked. Chapters are accompanied by illustrative stories and practical application sections that draw readers in and help them apply statutes to realistic situations. With national appeal, this practical guide makes the penal code a more interesting and educational tool. Verbatim printing of hundreds of criminal statutesranging from the well-known basic offenses to the uncommon criminal laws that are rarely invoked. Explanation of what each statute meanssets this book apart from others in the field. Practical Application Sections accompany each statute that defines a felony or misdemeanor. Appropriate for a broad audience, it is a must for anyone attempting to understand and apply the United States criminal statutes.