CRJ 222 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Jim Crow Laws, Murder, Actus Reus
Document Summary
Chapter 1: fundamentals of criminal law and procedure. What is a crime: actus reus a wrongful act; specifically prohibited by the criminal law, ex. Failing to file a federal income tax return: mens rea a wrongful act with criminal intent, ex. Intentionally murdering someone: strict liability offenses crimes that do not require proof of the defendant"s intent, ex. Yellow = important concepts blue = important events/works: felonies serious crimes; imprisonment is more than a year, misdemeanors minor offenses; imprisonment is less than a year or there"s a fine. Crime: an injury against society: as society evolves and its standards change, behaviors that were once defined as crimes are no longer subject to criminal sanction, the government brings charges against people accused of committing crimes. Individuals are responsible for their actions and must be held accountable for them: some individuals are exempt from this responsibility, children, mentally retarded, etc, self-defense.
