Cases and Materials on Criminal Law

Preface to the Fourth Edition     vPreface to First Edition     viiAcknowledgments     xiiiTable of Cases     xxxixTable of Model Penal Code Sections     xlixTable of Authorities     liIntroduction: Setting the Stage     1Nature, Sources, and Limits of the Criminal Law     1Henry M. Hart, Jr.-The Aims of the Criminal Law     1Notes and Questions     3Criminal Law in a Procedural Context: Pre-Trial     6Criminal Law in a Procedural Context: Trial by Jury     7Proof of Guilt at Trial     9"Proof Beyond a Reasonable Doubt"     9Notes and Questions     10Enforcing the Presumption of Innocence     13Owens V. State     13Notes and Questions     16Jury Nullification     18Introductory Comment     18State V. Ragland     19Notes and Questions     22Principles of Punishment     29Introduction: Initial Thoughts and Hard Statistics     29Theories of Punishment     30In General     30Kent Greenawalt-Punishment     30Notes andQuestions     31Utilitarian Justifications     32Jeremy Bentham-An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation     32Kent Greenawalt-Punishment     34Notes and Questions     35Retributive Justifications     38Michael S. Moore-The Moral Worth of Retribution     38Notes and Questions     39Immanuel Kant-The Philosophy of Law     39Notes and Questions     402 James Fitzjames Stephen-A History of the Criminal Law of England     40Notes and Questions     41Theories of Punishment-ContinuedHerbert Morris-Persons and Punishment     42Notes and Questions     43Jeffrie G. Murphy & Jean Hampton-Forgiveness and Mercy     45Notes and Questions     46The Penal Theories in Action     48Who Should Be Punished?     48The Queen v. Dudley and Stephens     48Notes and Questions     49How Much (and What) Punishment Should Be Imposed?     50People v. Superior Court (Du)     50People v. Du     53Notes and Questions     56United States v. Gementera     59Notes and Questions      65Proportionality of Punishment     66General Principles     66Immanuel Kant-The Philosophy of Law     66Jeremy Bentham-An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation     67Notes and Questions     68Constitutional Principles     69Coker V. Georgia     69Notes and Questions     74Ewing v. California     76Notes and Questions     87Modern Role of Criminal Statutes     88Principle of Legality     88The Requirement of Previously Defined Conduct     88Commonwealth v. Mochan     88Notes and Questions     91Keeler v. Superior Court     91Notes and Questions     99The Values of Statutory Clarity     101In re Banks     101Notes and Questions     105City of Chicago v. Morales     109Notes and Questions     115Statutory Interpretation     116United States v. Foster     116Notes and Questions     124Actus Reus     126Introductory Comment: Defining "Actus Reus"     126Voluntary Act      127Martin v. State     127Notes and Questions     127State v. Utter     129Notes and Questions     132Omissions ("Negative Acts")     134General Principles     134People V. Beardsley     134Notes and Questions     137Distinguishing Acts From Omissions     140Omissions ("Negative Acts")-ContinuedBarber v. Superior Court     140Notes and Questions     144Social Harm     145Notes and Questions     146Mens Rea     147Nature of "Mens Rea"     147United States v. Cordoba-Hincapie     147Notes and Questions     148Regina v. Cunningham     149Notes and Questions     150General Issues in Proving Culpability     151"Intent"     151People V. Conley     151Notes and Questions     153The Model Penal Code Approach     157Introductory Comment     157American Law Institute, Model Penal Code And Commentaries, Comment To [section] 2.02     158Notes and Questions     161"Knowledge" of Attendant Circumstances (The "Wilful Blindness" Problem)     161State v. Nations     161Notes and Questions     164Problems in Statutory Interpretation     167United States v. Morris     167Notes and Questions     171Strict Liability Offenses     172United States v. Cordoba-Hincapie     172Notes and Questions     173Staples v. United States     174Notes and Questions     180Garnett v. State     184Notes and Questions     190Mistake and Mens Rea     191Mistake of Fact     191People v. Navarro     191Notes and Questions     193Mistake (or Ignorance) of Law     196People v. Marrero     196Notes and Questions     202Cheek v. United States     206Notes and Questions     210Causation     211Actual Cause (Cause-in-Fact)     211Velazquez v. State     211Oxendine v. State     212Notes and Questions     216Proximate Cause ("Legal" Cause)     216Introductory Comment     216Kibbe v. Henderson      217Notes and Questions     220Proximate Cause ("Legal" Cause)-ContinuedVelazquez v. State     224Notes and Questions     226Concurrence of the Elements     227State v. Rose     227Notes and Questions     229Criminal Homicide     230Overview     230Homicide Statistics     230Common Law Origins and Statutory Reform     230American Law Institute, Model Penal Code and Commentaries, Comment to [section] 210.2     230American Law Institute, Model Penal Code and Commentaries, Comment to [section] 210.3     232Variations on the Theme: Some Homicide Statutes     233California Penal Code     233Illinois Criminal Code     235Michigan Penal Code     237New York Penal Law     238Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes     240Notes and Questions     242The Protected Interest: "Human Being"     242People v. Eulo     242Notes and Questions     247Intentional Killings     248Degrees of Murder: The Deliberation-Premeditation Formula     248State V. Guthrie     248Notes and Questions      251Midgett v. State     253Notes and Questions     255State v. Forrest     255Notes and Questions     258Manslaughter: "Heat of Passion" Killings     259Common Law Principles     259Girouard v. State     259Notes and Comments     263Joshua Dressler-Rethinking Heat of Passion: A Defense in Search of a Rationale     266Joshua Dressler-Why Keep the Provocation Defense?: Some Reflections on a Difficult Subject     268Notes and Questions     269The Objective Standard: Who Is the "Reasonable Man"?     270Introductory Comment     270Attorney General for Jersey v. Holley     271Notes and Questions     278Model Penal Code and Beyond     281People v. Casassa     281Notes and Questions     285Murder Versus Manslaughter: A Literary Problem     288Willa Cather-O Pioneers     288Notes and Questions     291Unintentional Killings: Unjustified Risk-Taking     291Introduction: A Road Map     291Unintentional Killings: Unjustified Risk-Taking-ContinuedBerry v. Superior Court     292People v. Nieto Benitez      294Notes and Questions     295State v. Hernandez     297Notes and Questions     301State v. Williams     301Notes and Questions     305Unintentional Killings: Unlawful Conduct     309The Felony-Murder Rule     309The Doctrine in Its Unlimited Form     309American Law Institute, Model Penal Code and Commentaries, Comment to [section] 210.2     310People v. Fuller     311Notes and Questions     312The Policy Debate     312Nelson E. Roth & Scott E. Sundby-The Felony-Murder Rule: A Doctrine at Constitutional Crossroads     312David Crump & Susan Waite Crump-In Defense of the Felony Murder Doctrine     316Notes and Questions     320Limitations on the Rule     320Overview     320James J. Tomkovicz-The Endurance of the Felony-Murder Rule: A Study of the Forces That Shape Our Criminal Law     320The "Inherently Dangerous Felony" Limitation     321People v. Howard     321Notes and Questions     326The "Independent Felony" (or Merger) Limitation     328People v. Robertson     328Notes and Questions      334Killings "in the Perpetration" or "in Furtherance" of a Felony     334State v. Sophophone     334Notes and Questions     337Unlawful-Act Manslaughter (The "Misdemeanor Manslaughter" Rule)     339A Brain Teaser to End All Brain Teasers     340Notes and Questions     341Capital Murder     341The Constitutional and Policy Debate     341Introductory Comment     341Gregg v. Georgia     342Notes and Questions     349The Quest for Reliable Procedures     358Introductory Comment     358The Lingering Question of Racial Discrimination     359McCleskey v. Kemp     359Notes and Questions     364Victim Impact Evidence     365Payne v. Tennessee     365Notes and Questions     372Substantive Limitations on the Death Penalty     373Capital Murder-ContinuedTison u. Arizona     373Notes and Questions     379Rape     381Overview     381Rape (Sexual Assault) Statistics     381U.S. Dept. Of Justice, Bureau Of Justice Statistics-Sex Offenses And Offenders     381Notes and Questions     383Social Context     385Susan Estrich-Rape     385Notes and Questions     386Joshua Dressler-Where We Have Been, And Where We Might Be Going: Some Cautionary Reflections On Rape Law Reform     388Notes and Questions     389Variations on the Theme: Some Sexual Offense Statutes     391Alabama Criminal Code     391California Penal Code     392Indiana Criminal Code     394New Jersey Code of Criminal Justice     395Title 18, Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes     397Forcible Rape     399Force and Nonconsent     399State v. Alston     399Notes and Questions     403How Much Force?: The Resistance Requirement     406Rusk v. State     406State v. Rusk     411Notes and Questions     412"No" (or the Absence of "Yes") as "Force"?     419Susan Estrich-Rape     419Susan Ager-The Incident     420Notes and Questions     422Commonwealth v. Berkowitz     423Notes and Questions     431State of New Jersey in the Interest of M.T.S.      432Notes and Questions     441One Final Wrinkle: Withdrawn Consent     444People v. John Z     444Notes and Questions     450Mens Rea     451Commonwealth v. Sherry     451Notes and Questions     453Rape by Fraud or Non-physical Threats     458Boro v. Superior Court     458Notes and Questions     462Rape Shield Laws     464State V. Herndon     464People V. Wilhelm     465Notes and Questions     468Statutory Rape     469Garnett v. State     469Notes and Questions     469General Defenses to Crimes     474Categories of Defenses     474Paul H. Robinson-Criminal Law Defenses: A Systematic Analysis     474Joshua Dressler-Justifications And Excuses: A Brief Review of the Concepts and the Literature     477Notes and Questions     480Burden of Proof     480Patterson v. New York     480Notes and Questions     489Principles of Justification     491Structure and Underlying Theories of Justification Defenses     4911 Paul H. Robinson-Criminal Law Defenses     491Joshua Dressler-Understanding Criminal Law     492Self-Defense     494General Principles     494United States v. Peterson     494Notes and Questions     499"Reasonable Belief Requirement     504In General     504People v. Goetz     504Notes and Questions     510The "Reasonable Person": Objective, Subjective, or a Mixed Standard?     518State v. Wanrow     518Notes and Questions     521Battered Women, Battered Woman Syndrome and Beyond     525State v. Norman     525State v. Norman     530Notes and Questions     533Stephen J. Morse-The "New Syndrome Excuse Syndrome"     539Notes and Questions     541Defense of Others     543People v. Kurr     543Notes and Questions     546Defense of Property/Habitation and Law Enforcement Defenses     547People v. Ceballos     547Notes and Questions     551Tennessee v. Garner     553Notes and Questions     560Necessity ("Choice of Evils")      562General Principles     562Nelson v. State     562American Law Institute, Model Penal Code and Commentaries, Comment to [section] 3.02     565Notes and Questions     566Civil Disobedience     568United States v. Schoon     568Notes and Questions     573Defense to Murder?     574Principles of Justification-ContinuedThe Queen v. Dudley And Stephens     574Notes and Questions     577Principles of Excuse     581Why Do We Excuse Wrongdoers?     581Sanford H. Kadish-Excusing Crime     581Joshua Dressler-Understanding Criminal Law     583Notes and Questions     585Duress     585General Principles     585United States v. Contento-Pachon     585Notes and Questions     588Necessity Versus Duress     594People v. Unger     594Notes and Questions     597Defense to Murder?     599People v. Anderson     599Notes and Questions     605Intoxication     605Commonwealth v. Graves     606Notes and Questions      610Insanity     616Procedural Context     616Competency to Stand Trial     616Pre-Trial Assertion of the Insanity Plea     618Burden of Proof at Trial     619Post-Trial Disposition of Insanity Acquittees     619Sexual Predator Laws: A New Strategy for Civil Commitment     621Why Do We Excuse the Insane?: Some Initial Thoughts     622United States v. Freeman     622Notes and Questions     622Struggling for a Definition: The Tests of Insanity     624State v. Johnson     624American Law Institute, Model Penal Code and Commentaries Comment to [section] 4.01     628Notes and Questions     629M'Naghten and the Model Penal Code in Greater Detail     637Knowing/Appreciating the "Wrongfulness" of One's Actions     637State v. Wilson     637Notes and Questions     645Convincing the Jury: The Role of Experts     648State v. Green     648Notes and Questions     655Should the Defense Be Abolished?     657American Law Institute, Model Penal Code and Commentaries Comment to [section] 4.01     657Notes and Questions      658One Final Problem     660Edgar Allan Poe-The Tell-Tale Heart     660Notes and Questions     663Principles of Excuse-ContinuedDiminished Capacity     664Stephen J. Morse-Undiminished Confusion in Diminished Capacity     664Notes and Questions     665Clark v. Arizona     669Notes and Questions     681Infancy     682In re Devon T.     683Notes and Questions     689New Defenses?     690Euthanasia     690Latimer v. The Queen     691Notes and Questions     696Yale Kamisar-Physician-Assisted Suicide: The Problems Presented by the Compelling, Heartwrenching Case     703Notes and Questions     707Addiction/Alcoholism Constitutional Defense     708Robinson v. California     708Notes and Questions     712Powell v. Texas     713Notes and Questions     723"Rotten Social Background" (RSB) Defense     725Richard Delgado-"Rotten Social Background": Should the Criminal Law Recognize a Defense of Severe Environmental Deprivation?     726Notes and Questions     728"Cultural Defense"      728State v. Kargar     728Notes and Questions     732The Cultural Defense in the Criminal Law     733Notes and Questions     737Inchoate Offenses     739Overview     739American Law Institute-Model Penal Code and Commentaries, Comment to Article 5     739Notes and Questions     740Attempt     742General Principles     742Ira P. Robbins-Double Inchoate Crimes     742Notes and Questions     742Andrew Ashworth-Criminal Attempts and the Role of Resulting Harm Under the Code, and in the Common Law     744Notes and Questions     746Grading Criminal Attempts     747American Law Institute, Model Penal Code and Commentaries, Comment to [section] 5.05     747Notes and Questions     747Mens Rea     748People v. Gentry     748Notes and Questions     750Bruce v. State     752Notes and Questions     753Actus Reus     755General Principles     755Attempt-ContinuedUnited States v. Mandujano     755Notes and Questions     757An Initial Effort at Drawing the Preparation-Perpetration Line     758Notes and Questions     759Distinguishing Preparation From Perpetration: The Tests at Work     759Commonwealth v. Peaslee     759Notes and Questions     761People v. Rizzo     763Notes and Questions     764People v. Miller     765Notes and Questions     766State v. Reeves     768Notes and Questions     773Punishing Pre-Attempt Conduct     775United States v. Alkhabaz     776Notes and Questions     780Special Defenses     783Impossibility     783People v. Thousand     783Notes and Questions     790Abandonment     797Commonwealth v. McCloskey     797Notes and Questions     800Assault     801American Law Institute, Model Penal Code and Commentaries, Comment to [section] 211.1     801Notes and Questions     802Solicitation     804State v. Mann     804Notes and Questions     804State v. Cotton     805Notes and Questions      807Conspiracy     809General Principles     809People v. Carter     809Notes and Questions     810Pinkerton v. United States     813Notes and Questions     814Mens Rea     818People v. Swain     818Notes and Questions     821People v. Lauria     822Notes and Questions     826Actus Reus     828Abraham S. Goldstein-Conspiracy to Defraud the United States     828Notes and Questions     829Commonwealth v. Azim     829Notes and Questions     831Commonwealth v. Cook     831Notes and Questions     835Conspiracy: Bilateral or Unilateral?     836People v. Foster     836Notes and Questions     839Conspiracy-ContinuedScope of an Agreement: Party and Object Dimensions     841American Law Institute, Model Penal Code and Commentaries, Comment to [section] 5.03     841Kilgore v. State     842Notes and Questions     846Braverman v. United States     848Notes and Questions     849Defenses     850Iannelli v. United States     850Notes and Questions     854Gebardi v. United States     855Notes and Questions     857People v. Sconce     857Notes and Questions     859Liability for the Conduct of Another     860Accomplice Liability     860General Principles     860Common Law Terminology and Its Significance     860State v. Ward     860Notes and Questions     861Theoretical Foundation: Derivative Liability     862"Elements" of Accomplice Liability: In General     863State v. Hoselton     863Notes and Questions     865Mens Rea     867Intent: "Purpose" or "Knowledge"?     867People v. Lauria     867Notes and Questions     867When Is "Intent" Not Required?     870Offenses Not Requiring Intent     870Riley v. State     870Notes and Questions     874Natural-and-Probable-Consequences Doctrine     875State v. Linscott     875Notes and Questions     878Attendant Circumstances     879Actus Reus      880State v. Vaillancourt     880Notes and Questions     882Wilcox v. Jeffery     883Notes and Questions     885State v. Helmenstein     885Notes and Questions     887People v. Genoa     890Notes and Questions     891Distinguishing Direct From Accomplice Liability     892Bailey v. Commonwealth     892Notes and Questions     895Relationship of the Liability of the Accomplice to the Principal     896If the Principal Is Acquitted     896United States v. Lopez     896Accomplice Liability-ContinuedNotes and Questions     898If the Principal Is Convicted     899People v. McCoy     899Notes and Questions     901Limits to Accomplice Liability     901In re Meagan R.     901Notes and Questions     903People v. Brown     903Notes and Questions     905Conspiracy Liability     906Pinkerton v. United States     906Notes and Questions     906Vicarious Liability     906Commonwealth v. Koczwara      906Notes and Questions     911Corporate Liability     912American Law Institute-Model Penal Code and Commentaries, Comment to [section] 2.07     912State v. Christy Pontiac-GMC, Inc.     912Pamela H. Bucy-Corporate Ethos: A Standard for Imposing Corporate Criminal Liability     916Notes and Questions     918John C. Coffee, Jr.-"No Soul To Damn: No Body to Kick": An Unscandalized Inquiry Into the Problem of Corporate Punishment     920Notes and Questions     925Theft     928Introductory Comment     928Larceny     929Actus Reus     929"Trespassory Taking (Caption) and Carrying Away (Asportation) * * *"     929Lee v. State     929Rexv. Chisser     930Notes and Questions     930United States v. Mafnas     931Notes and Questions     932Topolewski v. State     934Rex v. Pear     938Notes and Questions     939Brooks v. State     939Notes and Questions     941"* * * of the Personal Property of Another * * *"     941Lund v. Commonwealth     941Notes and Questions      944Mens Rea: " * * * With the Intent to Steal the Property"     945People v. Brown     945Notes and Questions     946People v. Davis     949Notes and Questions     953Embezzlement     953Rex v. Bazeley     953Notes and Questions     957False Pretenses     957People v. Ingram     957Notes and Questions     958People v. Whight     959Notes and Questions     962Federal Mail, Wire, and Computer Fraud     962United States v. Czubinski     962Notes and Questions     969Model Penal Code     970Index     1039