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Table of Contents
Preface to the Fourth Edition v
Preface to First Edition vii
Acknowledgments xiii
Table of Cases xxxix
Table of Model Penal Code Sections xlix
Table of Authorities li
Introduction: Setting the Stage 1
Nature, Sources, and Limits of the Criminal Law 1
Henry M. Hart, Jr.-The Aims of the Criminal Law 1
Notes and Questions 3
Criminal Law in a Procedural Context: Pre-Trial 6
Criminal Law in a Procedural Context: Trial by Jury 7
Proof of Guilt at Trial 9
"Proof Beyond a Reasonable Doubt" 9
Notes and Questions 10
Enforcing the Presumption of Innocence 13
Owens V. State 13
Notes and Questions 16
Jury Nullification 18
Introductory Comment 18
State V. Ragland 19
Notes and Questions 22
Principles of Punishment 29
Introduction: Initial Thoughts and Hard Statistics 29
Theories of Punishment 30
In General 30
Kent Greenawalt-Punishment 30
Notes andQuestions 31
Utilitarian Justifications 32
Jeremy Bentham-An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation 32
Kent Greenawalt-Punishment 34
Notes and Questions 35
Retributive Justifications 38
Michael S. Moore-The Moral Worth of Retribution 38
Notes and Questions 39
Immanuel Kant-The Philosophy of Law 39
Notes and Questions 40
2 James Fitzjames Stephen-A History of the Criminal Law of England 40
Notes and Questions 41
Theories of Punishment-Continued
Herbert Morris-Persons and Punishment 42
Notes and Questions 43
Jeffrie G. Murphy & Jean Hampton-Forgiveness and Mercy 45
Notes and Questions 46
The Penal Theories in Action 48
Who Should Be Punished? 48
The Queen v. Dudley and Stephens 48
Notes and Questions 49
How Much (and What) Punishment Should Be Imposed? 50
People v. Superior Court (Du) 50
People v. Du 53
Notes and Questions 56
United States v. Gementera 59
Notes and Questions 65
Proportionality of Punishment 66
General Principles 66
Immanuel Kant-The Philosophy of Law 66
Jeremy Bentham-An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation 67
Notes and Questions 68
Constitutional Principles 69
Coker V. Georgia 69
Notes and Questions 74
Ewing v. California 76
Notes and Questions 87
Modern Role of Criminal Statutes 88
Principle of Legality 88
The Requirement of Previously Defined Conduct 88
Commonwealth v. Mochan 88
Notes and Questions 91
Keeler v. Superior Court 91
Notes and Questions 99
The Values of Statutory Clarity 101
In re Banks 101
Notes and Questions 105
City of Chicago v. Morales 109
Notes and Questions 115
Statutory Interpretation 116
United States v. Foster 116
Notes and Questions 124
Actus Reus 126
Introductory Comment: Defining "Actus Reus" 126
Voluntary Act 127
Martin v. State 127
Notes and Questions 127
State v. Utter 129
Notes and Questions 132
Omissions ("Negative Acts") 134
General Principles 134
People V. Beardsley 134
Notes and Questions 137
Distinguishing Acts From Omissions 140
Omissions ("Negative Acts")-Continued
Barber v. Superior Court 140
Notes and Questions 144
Social Harm 145
Notes and Questions 146
Mens Rea 147
Nature of "Mens Rea" 147
United States v. Cordoba-Hincapie 147
Notes and Questions 148
Regina v. Cunningham 149
Notes and Questions 150
General Issues in Proving Culpability 151
"Intent" 151
People V. Conley 151
Notes and Questions 153
The Model Penal Code Approach 157
Introductory Comment 157
American Law Institute, Model Penal Code And Commentaries, Comment To [section] 2.02 158
Notes and Questions 161
"Knowledge" of Attendant Circumstances (The "Wilful Blindness" Problem) 161
State v. Nations 161
Notes and Questions 164
Problems in Statutory Interpretation 167
United States v. Morris 167
Notes and Questions 171
Strict Liability Offenses 172
United States v. Cordoba-Hincapie 172
Notes and Questions 173
Staples v. United States 174
Notes and Questions 180
Garnett v. State 184
Notes and Questions 190
Mistake and Mens Rea 191
Mistake of Fact 191
People v. Navarro 191
Notes and Questions 193
Mistake (or Ignorance) of Law 196
People v. Marrero 196
Notes and Questions 202
Cheek v. United States 206
Notes and Questions 210
Causation 211
Actual Cause (Cause-in-Fact) 211
Velazquez v. State 211
Oxendine v. State 212
Notes and Questions 216
Proximate Cause ("Legal" Cause) 216
Introductory Comment 216
Kibbe v. Henderson 217
Notes and Questions 220
Proximate Cause ("Legal" Cause)-Continued
Velazquez v. State 224
Notes and Questions 226
Concurrence of the Elements 227
State v. Rose 227
Notes and Questions 229
Criminal Homicide 230
Overview 230
Homicide Statistics 230
Common Law Origins and Statutory Reform 230
American Law Institute, Model Penal Code and Commentaries, Comment to [section] 210.2 230
American Law Institute, Model Penal Code and Commentaries, Comment to [section] 210.3 232
Variations on the Theme: Some Homicide Statutes 233
California Penal Code 233
Illinois Criminal Code 235
Michigan Penal Code 237
New York Penal Law 238
Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes 240
Notes and Questions 242
The Protected Interest: "Human Being" 242
People v. Eulo 242
Notes and Questions 247
Intentional Killings 248
Degrees of Murder: The Deliberation-Premeditation Formula 248
State V. Guthrie 248
Notes and Questions 251
Midgett v. State 253
Notes and Questions 255
State v. Forrest 255
Notes and Questions 258
Manslaughter: "Heat of Passion" Killings 259
Common Law Principles 259
Girouard v. State 259
Notes and Comments 263
Joshua Dressler-Rethinking Heat of Passion: A Defense in Search of a Rationale 266
Joshua Dressler-Why Keep the Provocation Defense?: Some Reflections on a Difficult Subject 268
Notes and Questions 269
The Objective Standard: Who Is the "Reasonable Man"? 270
Introductory Comment 270
Attorney General for Jersey v. Holley 271
Notes and Questions 278
Model Penal Code and Beyond 281
People v. Casassa 281
Notes and Questions 285
Murder Versus Manslaughter: A Literary Problem 288
Willa Cather-O Pioneers 288
Notes and Questions 291
Unintentional Killings: Unjustified Risk-Taking 291
Introduction: A Road Map 291
Unintentional Killings: Unjustified Risk-Taking-Continued
Berry v. Superior Court 292
People v. Nieto Benitez 294
Notes and Questions 295
State v. Hernandez 297
Notes and Questions 301
State v. Williams 301
Notes and Questions 305
Unintentional Killings: Unlawful Conduct 309
The Felony-Murder Rule 309
The Doctrine in Its Unlimited Form 309
American Law Institute, Model Penal Code and Commentaries, Comment to [section] 210.2 310
People v. Fuller 311
Notes and Questions 312
The Policy Debate 312
Nelson E. Roth & Scott E. Sundby-The Felony-Murder Rule: A Doctrine at Constitutional Crossroads 312
David Crump & Susan Waite Crump-In Defense of the Felony Murder Doctrine 316
Notes and Questions 320
Limitations on the Rule 320
Overview 320
James J. Tomkovicz-The Endurance of the Felony-Murder Rule: A Study of the Forces That Shape Our Criminal Law 320
The "Inherently Dangerous Felony" Limitation 321
People v. Howard 321
Notes and Questions 326
The "Independent Felony" (or Merger) Limitation 328
People v. Robertson 328
Notes and Questions 334
Killings "in the Perpetration" or "in Furtherance" of a Felony 334
State v. Sophophone 334
Notes and Questions 337
Unlawful-Act Manslaughter (The "Misdemeanor Manslaughter" Rule) 339
A Brain Teaser to End All Brain Teasers 340
Notes and Questions 341
Capital Murder 341
The Constitutional and Policy Debate 341
Introductory Comment 341
Gregg v. Georgia 342
Notes and Questions 349
The Quest for Reliable Procedures 358
Introductory Comment 358
The Lingering Question of Racial Discrimination 359
McCleskey v. Kemp 359
Notes and Questions 364
Victim Impact Evidence 365
Payne v. Tennessee 365
Notes and Questions 372
Substantive Limitations on the Death Penalty 373
Capital Murder-Continued
Tison u. Arizona 373
Notes and Questions 379
Rape 381
Overview 381
Rape (Sexual Assault) Statistics 381
U.S. Dept. Of Justice, Bureau Of Justice Statistics-Sex Offenses And Offenders 381
Notes and Questions 383
Social Context 385
Susan Estrich-Rape 385
Notes and Questions 386
Joshua Dressler-Where We Have Been, And Where We Might Be Going: Some Cautionary Reflections On Rape Law Reform 388
Notes and Questions 389
Variations on the Theme: Some Sexual Offense Statutes 391
Alabama Criminal Code 391
California Penal Code 392
Indiana Criminal Code 394
New Jersey Code of Criminal Justice 395
Title 18, Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes 397
Forcible Rape 399
Force and Nonconsent 399
State v. Alston 399
Notes and Questions 403
How Much Force?: The Resistance Requirement 406
Rusk v. State 406
State v. Rusk 411
Notes and Questions 412
"No" (or the Absence of "Yes") as "Force"? 419
Susan Estrich-Rape 419
Susan Ager-The Incident 420
Notes and Questions 422
Commonwealth v. Berkowitz 423
Notes and Questions 431
State of New Jersey in the Interest of M.T.S. 432
Notes and Questions 441
One Final Wrinkle: Withdrawn Consent 444
People v. John Z 444
Notes and Questions 450
Mens Rea 451
Commonwealth v. Sherry 451
Notes and Questions 453
Rape by Fraud or Non-physical Threats 458
Boro v. Superior Court 458
Notes and Questions 462
Rape Shield Laws 464
State V. Herndon 464
People V. Wilhelm 465
Notes and Questions 468
Statutory Rape 469
Garnett v. State 469
Notes and Questions 469
General Defenses to Crimes 474
Categories of Defenses 474
Paul H. Robinson-Criminal Law Defenses: A Systematic Analysis 474
Joshua Dressler-Justifications And Excuses: A Brief Review of the Concepts and the Literature 477
Notes and Questions 480
Burden of Proof 480
Patterson v. New York 480
Notes and Questions 489
Principles of Justification 491
Structure and Underlying Theories of Justification Defenses 491
1 Paul H. Robinson-Criminal Law Defenses 491
Joshua Dressler-Understanding Criminal Law 492
Self-Defense 494
General Principles 494
United States v. Peterson 494
Notes and Questions 499
"Reasonable Belief Requirement 504
In General 504
People v. Goetz 504
Notes and Questions 510
The "Reasonable Person": Objective, Subjective, or a Mixed Standard? 518
State v. Wanrow 518
Notes and Questions 521
Battered Women, Battered Woman Syndrome and Beyond 525
State v. Norman 525
State v. Norman 530
Notes and Questions 533
Stephen J. Morse-The "New Syndrome Excuse Syndrome" 539
Notes and Questions 541
Defense of Others 543
People v. Kurr 543
Notes and Questions 546
Defense of Property/Habitation and Law Enforcement Defenses 547
People v. Ceballos 547
Notes and Questions 551
Tennessee v. Garner 553
Notes and Questions 560
Necessity ("Choice of Evils") 562
General Principles 562
Nelson v. State 562
American Law Institute, Model Penal Code and Commentaries, Comment to [section] 3.02 565
Notes and Questions 566
Civil Disobedience 568
United States v. Schoon 568
Notes and Questions 573
Defense to Murder? 574
Principles of Justification-Continued
The Queen v. Dudley And Stephens 574
Notes and Questions 577
Principles of Excuse 581
Why Do We Excuse Wrongdoers? 581
Sanford H. Kadish-Excusing Crime 581
Joshua Dressler-Understanding Criminal Law 583
Notes and Questions 585
Duress 585
General Principles 585
United States v. Contento-Pachon 585
Notes and Questions 588
Necessity Versus Duress 594
People v. Unger 594
Notes and Questions 597
Defense to Murder? 599
People v. Anderson 599
Notes and Questions 605
Intoxication 605
Commonwealth v. Graves 606
Notes and Questions 610
Insanity 616
Procedural Context 616
Competency to Stand Trial 616
Pre-Trial Assertion of the Insanity Plea 618
Burden of Proof at Trial 619
Post-Trial Disposition of Insanity Acquittees 619
Sexual Predator Laws: A New Strategy for Civil Commitment 621
Why Do We Excuse the Insane?: Some Initial Thoughts 622
United States v. Freeman 622
Notes and Questions 622
Struggling for a Definition: The Tests of Insanity 624
State v. Johnson 624
American Law Institute, Model Penal Code and Commentaries Comment to [section] 4.01 628
Notes and Questions 629
M'Naghten and the Model Penal Code in Greater Detail 637
Knowing/Appreciating the "Wrongfulness" of One's Actions 637
State v. Wilson 637
Notes and Questions 645
Convincing the Jury: The Role of Experts 648
State v. Green 648
Notes and Questions 655
Should the Defense Be Abolished? 657
American Law Institute, Model Penal Code and Commentaries Comment to [section] 4.01 657
Notes and Questions 658
One Final Problem 660
Edgar Allan Poe-The Tell-Tale Heart 660
Notes and Questions 663
Principles of Excuse-Continued
Diminished Capacity 664
Stephen J. Morse-Undiminished Confusion in Diminished Capacity 664
Notes and Questions 665
Clark v. Arizona 669
Notes and Questions 681
Infancy 682
In re Devon T. 683
Notes and Questions 689
New Defenses? 690
Euthanasia 690
Latimer v. The Queen 691
Notes and Questions 696
Yale Kamisar-Physician-Assisted Suicide: The Problems Presented by the Compelling, Heartwrenching Case 703
Notes and Questions 707
Addiction/Alcoholism Constitutional Defense 708
Robinson v. California 708
Notes and Questions 712
Powell v. Texas 713
Notes and Questions 723
"Rotten Social Background" (RSB) Defense 725
Richard Delgado-"Rotten Social Background": Should the Criminal Law Recognize a Defense of Severe Environmental Deprivation? 726
Notes and Questions 728
"Cultural Defense" 728
State v. Kargar 728
Notes and Questions 732
The Cultural Defense in the Criminal Law 733
Notes and Questions 737
Inchoate Offenses 739
Overview 739
American Law Institute-Model Penal Code and Commentaries, Comment to Article 5 739
Notes and Questions 740
Attempt 742
General Principles 742
Ira P. Robbins-Double Inchoate Crimes 742
Notes and Questions 742
Andrew Ashworth-Criminal Attempts and the Role of Resulting Harm Under the Code, and in the Common Law 744
Notes and Questions 746
Grading Criminal Attempts 747
American Law Institute, Model Penal Code and Commentaries, Comment to [section] 5.05 747
Notes and Questions 747
Mens Rea 748
People v. Gentry 748
Notes and Questions 750
Bruce v. State 752
Notes and Questions 753
Actus Reus 755
General Principles 755
Attempt-Continued
United States v. Mandujano 755
Notes and Questions 757
An Initial Effort at Drawing the Preparation-Perpetration Line 758
Notes and Questions 759
Distinguishing Preparation From Perpetration: The Tests at Work 759
Commonwealth v. Peaslee 759
Notes and Questions 761
People v. Rizzo 763
Notes and Questions 764
People v. Miller 765
Notes and Questions 766
State v. Reeves 768
Notes and Questions 773
Punishing Pre-Attempt Conduct 775
United States v. Alkhabaz 776
Notes and Questions 780
Special Defenses 783
Impossibility 783
People v. Thousand 783
Notes and Questions 790
Abandonment 797
Commonwealth v. McCloskey 797
Notes and Questions 800
Assault 801
American Law Institute, Model Penal Code and Commentaries, Comment to [section] 211.1 801
Notes and Questions 802
Solicitation 804
State v. Mann 804
Notes and Questions 804
State v. Cotton 805
Notes and Questions 807
Conspiracy 809
General Principles 809
People v. Carter 809
Notes and Questions 810
Pinkerton v. United States 813
Notes and Questions 814
Mens Rea 818
People v. Swain 818
Notes and Questions 821
People v. Lauria 822
Notes and Questions 826
Actus Reus 828
Abraham S. Goldstein-Conspiracy to Defraud the United States 828
Notes and Questions 829
Commonwealth v. Azim 829
Notes and Questions 831
Commonwealth v. Cook 831
Notes and Questions 835
Conspiracy: Bilateral or Unilateral? 836
People v. Foster 836
Notes and Questions 839
Conspiracy-Continued
Scope of an Agreement: Party and Object Dimensions 841
American Law Institute, Model Penal Code and Commentaries, Comment to [section] 5.03 841
Kilgore v. State 842
Notes and Questions 846
Braverman v. United States 848
Notes and Questions 849
Defenses 850
Iannelli v. United States 850
Notes and Questions 854
Gebardi v. United States 855
Notes and Questions 857
People v. Sconce 857
Notes and Questions 859
Liability for the Conduct of Another 860
Accomplice Liability 860
General Principles 860
Common Law Terminology and Its Significance 860
State v. Ward 860
Notes and Questions 861
Theoretical Foundation: Derivative Liability 862
"Elements" of Accomplice Liability: In General 863
State v. Hoselton 863
Notes and Questions 865
Mens Rea 867
Intent: "Purpose" or "Knowledge"? 867
People v. Lauria 867
Notes and Questions 867
When Is "Intent" Not Required? 870
Offenses Not Requiring Intent 870
Riley v. State 870
Notes and Questions 874
Natural-and-Probable-Consequences Doctrine 875
State v. Linscott 875
Notes and Questions 878
Attendant Circumstances 879
Actus Reus 880
State v. Vaillancourt 880
Notes and Questions 882
Wilcox v. Jeffery 883
Notes and Questions 885
State v. Helmenstein 885
Notes and Questions 887
People v. Genoa 890
Notes and Questions 891
Distinguishing Direct From Accomplice Liability 892
Bailey v. Commonwealth 892
Notes and Questions 895
Relationship of the Liability of the Accomplice to the Principal 896
If the Principal Is Acquitted 896
United States v. Lopez 896
Accomplice Liability-Continued
Notes and Questions 898
If the Principal Is Convicted 899
People v. McCoy 899
Notes and Questions 901
Limits to Accomplice Liability 901
In re Meagan R. 901
Notes and Questions 903
People v. Brown 903
Notes and Questions 905
Conspiracy Liability 906
Pinkerton v. United States 906
Notes and Questions 906
Vicarious Liability 906
Commonwealth v. Koczwara 906
Notes and Questions 911
Corporate Liability 912
American Law Institute-Model Penal Code and Commentaries, Comment to [section] 2.07 912
State v. Christy Pontiac-GMC, Inc. 912
Pamela H. Bucy-Corporate Ethos: A Standard for Imposing Corporate Criminal Liability 916
Notes and Questions 918
John C. Coffee, Jr.-"No Soul To Damn: No Body to Kick": An Unscandalized Inquiry Into the Problem of Corporate Punishment 920
Notes and Questions 925
Theft 928
Introductory Comment 928
Larceny 929
Actus Reus 929
"Trespassory Taking (Caption) and Carrying Away (Asportation) * * *" 929
Lee v. State 929
Rexv. Chisser 930
Notes and Questions 930
United States v. Mafnas 931
Notes and Questions 932
Topolewski v. State 934
Rex v. Pear 938
Notes and Questions 939
Brooks v. State 939
Notes and Questions 941
"* * * of the Personal Property of Another * * *" 941
Lund v. Commonwealth 941
Notes and Questions 944
Mens Rea: " * * * With the Intent to Steal the Property" 945
People v. Brown 945
Notes and Questions 946
People v. Davis 949
Notes and Questions 953
Embezzlement 953
Rex v. Bazeley 953
Notes and Questions 957
False Pretenses 957
People v. Ingram 957
Notes and Questions 958
People v. Whight 959
Notes and Questions 962
Federal Mail, Wire, and Computer Fraud 962
United States v. Czubinski 962
Notes and Questions 969
Model Penal Code 970
Index 1039
