| Cases and Resources
Chapter
8: Introduction to Criminal Law
General
Considerations
State and Federal Crimes
Classes of Crimes
Parties to Crimes
Crimes of Omission
Preliminary Crimes
General
Considerations
Criminal
Law: An Overview
Read a general overview of criminal law from the Legal Information
Institute. Criminal laws are broken down into smaller parts.
Each part is an element of a crime. What federal agencies
are involved with criminal law?
The Elements of a Crime
Criminal laws are made up of certain elements. Each element of a crime must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt in order to convict a person of a crime. Examine the elements of the crime of robbery. Elements
of Homicide
Compare the elements of different types of homicide. What
are the elements of each crime? How do the elements distinguish
the different types of homicide?
Model
Jury Instructions: Elements of Crime (New Jersey)
Are you curious about the elements of a crime? The New Jersey Judiciary has prepared jury instructions
for criminal trials. Select a crime to explore and read the
jury instructions to determine what the government must prove
when prosecuting.
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State
and Federal Crimes
America’s
Court Systems
Crimes can be both federal and state crimes or only one or
the other. Review this description of American courts and
remind yourself of the difference between the state courts
and the federal courts.
Federal
and State Criminal Codes
Analyze the federal criminal code as well as several state
criminal codes and find crimes that are listed in both codes
and crimes that are in only one code. Now compare your state
criminal code to that of another state. What is the same?
What is different?
When
a Crime Violates Both Federal and State Law: Congressman Ehrlich
(R-MD)
When a crime violates both federal and state law, there can
be confusion over which court in which to prosecute a criminal.
Read this interview with a member of Congress who advocates
prosecuting criminals who use firearms in federal court, rather
than state court, because federal punishments are tougher.
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Classes
of Crimes
Law
for Kids
Read an explanation of felonies and misdemeanors and how the
punishments for these crimes can be different. After you read
this explanation, explore the site for more information on
crime.
Firearm
Offenses
Read this description of a firearm misdemeanor. What elements
must be added to make this misdemeanor a felony?
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Parties
to Crimes
Liability
of Different Parties
You may already know that the person who commits a crime will
be punished, but other people connected to a crime may be
punished as well. Read this description of the different parties
to a crime to help you identify how people can be punished
for their various roles in a crime.
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Crimes
of Omission
Child
Neglect
A crime of omission arises from the failure to act. An example
of such a crime is child neglect. Read about the issue of
child neglect and the impact this crime has on children. What
duty do parents have to their children, and how do you know
when a parent is not fulfilling this duty?
International
Crimes of Omission
The failure to act can also be a crime when you have a duty
based on employment to act in certain situations. Explore
this case about the failure to stop drugs and illegal immigrants
from entering the United States.
The
Story of Sherrice Iverson
If there is no duty to act, there is no crime. Some people
support “Good Samaritan Laws” that would make
it a crime not to help someone in need. Usually, you do not
have a duty to help someone. Read the story of a young man
who chose to not help a girl in need. Do you think what he
did should be a crime?
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Preliminary
Crimes
Inchoate
Crimes
Take a closer look at the crimes of solicitation, attempt,
and conspiracy. How are these crimes described, and what elements
are required for each? Scroll to the bottom of this description
and read about the tough cases for these crimes. What is your
opinion?
Inchoate
Offenses (Simpler Description)
This short definition with links to define other related terms
offers an easy way to understand what an inchoate crime encompasses.
Read the definition and click on the other vocabulary terms
to learn more.
Assassination
Attempt on President Reagan
The attempted, but unsuccessful, assassination of President
Ronald Reagan is an example of the crime of attempt. This
news article retells the story of the crime.
Oklahoma
City Bombing
One of the most tragic acts of domestic terrorism in this
country was the Oklahoma City bombing. Explore the articles
and information about the people who conspired to commit this
crime and the different penalties each faced for his or her
participation.
September
11 Conspirator?
It is alleged that Zacarias Moussaoui conspired with the other
19 hijackers and the terrorists involved in the September
11, 2001, attacks. Read the information provided and identify
what acts might be considered conspiracy.
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