Lecture Five: Criminal Law — Substantive Crimes and Defenses

Law School

This lecture provides a comprehensive overview of substantive criminal law, focusing on the elements of crimes, defenses available to defendants, and specific categories of crimes such as homicide and inchoate offenses. It emphasizes the importance of understanding actus reus, mens rea, and various defenses to criminal liability, which are crucial for success in bar examinations and legal practice.

Takeaways

Criminal law principles are essential for bar exam success.

Actus reus and mens rea are foundational to criminal liability.

Causation is critical in determining liability for result crimes.

Specific intent crimes allow for defenses like voluntary intoxication.

General intent crimes permit reasonable mistakes of fact as defenses.

Strict liability crimes do not require proof of mens rea.

Homicide is a heavily litigated area of criminal law.

Manslaughter is categorized into voluntary and involuntary types.

Inchoate offenses punish conduct directed toward a crime.

Defenses to criminal liability include self-defense and necessity.

criminal law, substantive crimes, defenses, actus reus, mens rea, homicide, inchoate offenses, property crimes, defenses to liability