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CRJ251

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Criminal Law

Criminal JusticeLiberal Arts
OverviewGoals, Topics, and ObjectivesAssessment, Requirements, and OutcomesRegister for this Course

Course Goals

1. To identify and describe the various relationships between the criminal law and the needs of society. 2. To learn the basic principles of the criminal law in various categories, e.g., definition of criminal offense, defenses, standards of use. 3. Explain the relationship of knowledge of the criminal law as a vital part of professional law enforcement. 4. To develop the thought-process of critical thinking problem-solving in criminal law situations. Exercises will be assigned to identify the aspects of critical thinking through emphasis on clarity of thought and objective evaluation to support conclusions

Core Course Topics

  1. Criminal Law and Criminal Punishment

  2. Constitutional Limits on Criminal Law

  3. Actus Reus

  4. Mens Reus, Concurrence, Causation

  5. Defenses, Justifications

  6. Defense, Excuses

  7. Parties to Crime

  8. Inchoate Crimes

  9. Murder and Manslaughter

  10. Criminal Sexual Conduct, Bodily Injury Crimes

  11. Crimes Against Property

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Identify non legal influences on the development of English/American criminal law.

Identify the sources of American Criminal Law.

Describe the basic theories of punishment.

Identify the major Constitutional limits on the use of the Criminal Law.

Describe the use of briefs in legal studies and complete various briefs demonstrating the accepted technique.

Apply the technique of critical thinking as espoused in criminal law classes.

Describe the concept of Actus Res.

Identify the 4 basic categories of Actus Res.

Describe the concept of Mens Rea.

Identify and describe the types of Mes Rea.

Examine the concept of causation and how it relates to criminal liability.

Identify the elements of the defense of self-defense, defense of others, defense of home and property.

Identify the elements of the Choice of Evils" defense.

Identify the elements of the defense of consent.

Identify the tests use to determine Criminal Insanity.

Identify the elements of the defense of Age, Duress, Intoxication and Entrapment.

Identify the component parts of Accomplice Liability and describe how the law identifies the basis for aider and abettor liability.

Explain the difference between accomplice liability and vicarious liability.

Identify the elements of the 3 basic inchoate crimes: Attempt, Conspiracy and Solicitation.

Explain how the elements are different in application to a court room case.

Identify the elements and distinguish between Murder and Manslaughter.

Analyze the different degrees of homicide in the State of Michigan.

Describe the differences between common law rape and Michigans criminal sexual conduct statues.

Identify the main categories of CSC in Michigan and describe the elements for each.

Distinguish between the 4 basic categories of Assault in Michigan.

Identify the main categories of Theft crimes, both in the common law and under Michigan law.

Compare and contrast the various types of theft crime.