inside criminal law
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Inside Criminal Law. Standard 5: Students can explain the fundamental doctrines that drive the American criminal justice system. Due Process. Origin of Due Process. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Inside Criminal LawStandard 5: Students can explain the fundamental doctrines that drive the American criminal justice system.
Due Process
Origin of Due ProcessMagna Carta: "No free man shall be taken or imprisoned or dispossessed, or outlawed or exiled, or in any way destroyed, nor will we go upon him, nor will we send against him except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land.”
What is Due Process?A right guaranteed by the 5th and 14th Amendments. Due Process Clause: “No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.”
Types of Due ProcessProcedural
Everyone gets a fair PROCESSIncludes search procedures, arrest, speedy trial, impartial jury, right to attorney
Substantive
Laws must be fairEx: Supreme Court ruled 1930 Oklahoma law that sterilized habitual felons unconstitutional
PrecedentIn your notes: name or describe a famous supreme court case (historical or current)
PrecedentDefinition: a court decision that is an example of authority for future similar cases
Example: Plessy v. Ferguson – supreme court set the precedent that separate but equal public facilities is constitutional
Stare Decisis“to stand on decided cases”Doctrine that judges are obligated to follow precedents set by the highest courtExample: Brown v Board – all states had to comply with the decision
Four Written Sources of American Criminal Law
4 Written SourcesConstitutional
Administrative
Statutory
Case Law
CRIMEElements of a Crime
Corpus Delicti“the body of the crime”Circumstances that must exist for a criminal act to have occurred
Actus ReusGuilty ActPlanning the act does not qualify as a guilty actAttempting the act does qualifyExample: John Smith robbed a bank
Mens ReaGuilty intentThe offender knowingly, intentionally, or willingly committed the crimeEx: John Smith knew he was robbing a bank and that is badIntent determines level of liability which can differentiate between varying degrees of similar acts (ex: murder)
ConcurrenceGuilty Act + Guilty Intent (must occur together)Example: John Smith planned a robbery (intent) but then someone else robbed the same bank. John could not be charged (he did not commit the act)
CausationThe criminal act caused the harm sufferedExample: a person who put graffiti a building could not be charged with arson if the building burned down
Attendant Circumstances
Additional facts that may increase the penaltyMust be proved beyond a reasonable doubtEx: use of a weapon, amount stolen, hate crimes, etc
HarmThe damage done can determine what type of crime was committedEx: victim is hit with a tire iron.
If he dies = murderIf he is unconscious = battery
DefensesCriminal Defenses
Excuse DefensesInfancy: Young children do not understand the consequencesJuvenile justice system handles cases
Insanity: The person’s mind is such that at the time of the act, he/she did not know it was wrong or did not know the nature of the actDifficult to prove
Excuse Defenses - Intoxication
Involuntary intoxication: person did not know they were under the influence of substances and were not able to have guilty intent in their actionVoluntary intoxication: typically not a valid defense. May lead to lighter sentence
Excuse Defenses - Mistake
Mistake of Law
Ignorance of the law is not excuse but…If a law changes or is falsely reported, it COULD be a defense
Mistake of FactJohn took Julie’s backpack because he though it was his (that is not theft)He would have to prove that a reasonable person could make the mistake (the backpacks look similar)
Justification Defenses - Duress
Wrongful threat of one person induces another to perform an act he/she would not otherwise perform
Threat must be of serious harm or deathThreat must be greater than the harm caused by the crimeThreat must be inescapableThreat must be of no fault of his/her own
Justification Defenses
Self Defense: Deadly force can be used if there is a reasonable belief that death or harm will result from attack
Necessity: circumstances require a person to commit a crime. “the lesser of two evils”