Criminal Law – JURI 540

CG • Section 8WK • 12/17/2019 to 05/25/2020 • Modified 08/28/2023

Course Description

An introduction to the general principles, sources, and purpose of criminal law, including the following doctrinal issues that apply to crimes in general: the act requirement, the mens rea requirement, causation, liability for attempted crimes, accomplice liability, defenses, and criminal code interpretation.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Rationale

God has commissioned civil government to impose punishment upon those who do wrong [See Romans 13:1–4]. Criminal law refers to the rules and principles by which government determines whom to punish. No legal education is complete without a thorough grounding in criminal law concepts and principles.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (3)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to create a thread in response to the provided prompt for each Discussion. Each thread must be at least 1,500 words, include at least 3 scholarly sources in current Bluebook format, and demonstrate course-related knowledge. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be at least 500 words and include at least 1 scholarly source in current Bluebook format.

Legal Research Memorandum: Is this Homicide? Assignment

Each memorandum will be composed of at least 2,500 words written in current Bluebook format. The paper must include at least 4 references which may include case law, Scripture, the textbook, statutes, law review articles or any applicable scholarly resource.

Legal Research Memorandum: The Withdrawal of Consent Assignment

Each memorandum will be composed of at least 2,500 words written in current Bluebook format. The paper must include at least 4 references which may include case law, Scripture, the textbook, statutes, law review articles or any applicable scholarly resource.

Quizzes (4)

Each quiz will cover the Learn material for the assigned Module: Week as well as the previous Module: Week Each quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 10 multiple-choice questions, and have a 1-hour and 30-minute time limit.