Criminal Law

Welcome!  Criminal justice issues have always been at the center of national conversation, but they have taken on a level of urgency in recent years, particularly as they relate to policing, but also as they relate to inequality, social mobility, community safety, and more. These issues about the application of criminal law form the backdrop for this class, which is a study of the substance of criminal law. That means our focus will be the goals of punishment, principles of criminal responsibility, and selected specific crimes, approached via study and analysis of the Model Penal Code as well as the Common Law doctrines, with examples from state and federal law as illustration.

Because the national conversation on criminal justice issues touches on strong feelings and personal experiences, class may be difficult at times. We will bear that in mind in the tone of our discussion. We all may feel very strongly about some of the disturbing stories we will read, but those strong feelings may not be the same for everyone. And given the often disturbing content of the material we cover, anyone with a particular concern about any of the subjects we cover should get in touch with me before that class.

Objectives

By the end of the course, students should:

1. Know the basic doctrines of criminal law and understand the two main models of defining crimes.

2. Using the accepted structure, describe what must be proven and what defenses may be made, synthesizing rules in appropriate situations and then analyzing a set of facts to determine whether the rule is satisfied.

3. Distinguish between facts and inferences from those facts and use those to support the prosecution or defense in appropriate circumstances.

4. Identify what crimes and defenses are implicated by a set of facts

5. Interpret statutory language to predict outcomes for given facts.

6. Communicate a legal analysis in writing and orally in a reader/listener-focused way.