Criminal Practice and Procedures

Catalog description

This course will introduce the general principles, sources, and purpose of criminal law, including the following doctrinal issues that apply to crimes in general: the act requirement, the mens rea requirement, causation, liability for attempted crimes, accomplice liability, defenses, and criminal code interpretation. The course will also introduce the limitations imposed on law enforcement activities by the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution as applied to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment. The course generally considers the criminal justice process from investigation through arrest and initial court appearance.