CJS 125Criminal Law

Catalog

This course is an introductory study of criminal law in America; a study of the behavior that society has deemed to be unacceptable and worthy of punishment. The course will focus on the basic elements of crimes and defenses. Substantive criminal law will be covered, which defines such crimes as murder, rape, assault, perjury, extortion and offenses against national security. The general principles of criminal liability, punishment, and criminal defenses based on self-defense, necessity, entrapment, diminished capacity and insanity will be discussed.