Criminal law books to help the student of law gain knowledge of criminal law basics, its sources and the ideas which underlie the act of punishment. A listing of criminal law books for the student of law as well as the general public with an interest in the subject are presented here. First off, most criminal law books will attempt to define a crime. Simply put, a crime may be defined as a violation of a public law which explicitly forbids a certain act. Crimes may be categorized into two broad categories which would include a felony, and a misdemeanor. A felony consists of more serious crimes such as kidnapping, rape or murder. A misdemeanor consists of lesser crimes such as petty theft, which is defined as theft of something below a certain threshold amount. Broadly speaking a felony is usually punishable by a year or more in prison whereas a misdemeanor is usually punishable by less than a year of incarceration. The categorization of a certain crime as a felony or misdemeanor can also vary based on the iteration of the crime. For example the first offense of a certain act may be deemed a misdemeanor however a repeat offense of the same act may be deemed a felony. While there may be certain federal guidelines, the majority of crimes are punishable under local and or state laws as opposed to federal laws. This is why there can be seen a significant amount of differences from one state to state on criminal laws and penalties. Each state has its own body of criminal statutes which define crimes. These are typically known as a state's penal code. Most crimes have two elements which a prosecutor would have to prove in a court of law in order to win a conviction. These two elements consist of the act as well as the mental state of the defendant. For example this is why when an individual is killed, it can either be prosecuted as a murder or manslaughter. The criminal law books below go more into detail, but here's a starting point of elements which help define the differences between a civil case and a criminal case. Being able to distinguish the two will in itself help define in one's mind what can be considered a criminal case. Whereas the outcome of a civil case usually deals with the payment of money, in a criminal case it is possible that people are sent to jail or even executed. Whereas a civil case usually involves a dispute among private entities, a criminal case usually involves a government agent such as a prosecutor who raises a case against one or more individuals. In a civil case the plaintiff needs to show a "preponderance of the evidence". In a criminal case, the plaintiff needs to show "beyond a reasonable doubt". Between the two, the latter "beyond a reasonable doubt" is the higher standard of proof which must be met, so from just this perspective it can be said that the prosecutor in a criminal case has a tougher challenge to meet than would be in a civil suit. The criminal law books below go into much more detail on this subject. Some of the criminal law books are full of example scenarios with questions and answers such as assume scenario x, is it legal for the police to arrest you?
Criminal Law Examples and Explanations 5th edition Criminal Law Examples and Explanations
Author: Richard G. Singer, and John Q. LaFond
ISBN-13: 9780735588295
Criminal law books to help the student of law gain knowledge of criminal law basics, its sources and the ideas which underlie the act of punishment. Chapter coverage in this Criminal Law Examples and Explanations book includes The Sources and Limitations of the Criminal Law, the Purposes of Punishment, Actus Reus, The Doctrine of Mens Rea, Mistake, Strict Liability, Causation, Homicide, Rape, Theft, Solicitation, Attempt, Conspiracy, Complicity, Defenses: An Initial Survey, Acts in Emergency: Justification vs. Excuse, and Defenses Based on Individual Characteristics.
LaFave's Criminal Law, 5th edition LaFave's Criminal Law
Author: Wayne R. LaFave
ISBN-13: 9780314912688
Understanding Criminal Law Understanding Criminal Law
Author: Joshua Dressler
ISBN-13: 9781422429877
Joshua Dressler is the Frank R. Strong Chair in Law at The Ohio State University College of Law. He is a widely known author in the field of criminal law. Among his works include of three criminal books including Understanding Criminal Law, Understanding Criminal Procedure, and Cases and Materials on Criminal Law. Among these criminal law books, the one noted here attempts to examine principles and theories of law and punishment and is probably best suited for the law student along with an accompanying casebook.
Siegels Criminal Law: Essay Multiple Choice Question Answer 2009 Siegels Criminal Law: Essay Multiple Choice Question Answer 2009
Author: Brian N. Siegel, Lazar Emanuel, and Jason Tannenbaum
ISBN-13: 9780735579033
Casenote Legal Briefs Criminal Law: Keyed to Kaplan Weisberg & Binder 6 Ed Casenote Legal Briefs Criminal Law: Keyed to Kaplan Weisberg & Binder 6 Ed
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