英美司法制度criminal law

Lecture6CriminalLaw TheOutline1 Definingcrimes2 SourcesofCriminalLaw3 CategoriesofCriminalLaw4 Elementsofacrime1 wrongfulact actusreus 2 culpablestateofmind mensrea 3 causation5 InchoateCrimes6 Defenses7 CriminalSanctions DefiningCrimes AccordingtoWilliamBlackstone anEnglishjudgeandauthorofCommentariesontheLawsofEngland acrimeisawrongcommittedagainstthepublicthatispunishablebyimprisonmentorfine orboth awrong anactthatviolatesthelawasapposedtoviolatingcustoms religiousstandards againstthepublic anillegalactagainsttheinterestsofthepublicasawholeasopposedtoanillegalactonlyagainsttheindividualvictim DefiningCrimes ThedefiningofcrimesarechangingAsasocietyadvances itsjudgmentsaboutcrimeandpunishmentchange e g beforetheenactmentofSuicideLaw 1961 Committingasuicideisacrime maluminsev s malumprohibitum ClassifyingCrimes Variouscriteriaareappliedtoclassifyingcrimes ClassifyingCrimes IntheU K Accordingtothemodesoftrial theCriminalLawAct 1977 classifiesthecrimes offencesinto 1 summaryoffences 2 indictableonlyoffences seriousoffencestriableonlyattheCrownCourt 3 offencesthataretriableeitherway thatissummarilyorindictment ClassifyingCrimes IntheU S felonies misdemeanorsInsomestates feloniesarecrimesthatareservedinstateprisonsandmisdemeanorsareoffensesservedincountyjail Otherstates crimesauthorizingasentenceofimprisonmentofoveroneyeararefelonies whilethoseauthorizingsentencesofoneyearorlessaremisdemeanors ClassifyingCrimes IntheU S Crimesagainstpersons crimesagainstpropertyandcrimesagainstgovernmentCrimesagainstpersons rape kidnapping murderetc Crimesagainstproperty theft burglary robbery arsonetc Crimesagainstgovernment bribery perjury etc ClassifyingCrimes IntheU S somenewclassificationschemeshavegainedpopularityWhite collarcrime victimlesscrimesWhite collarcrime taxevasion insidertrading kickbacksetcVictimlesscrimes smokingmarijuana etc Homicide Homicide murderandmanslaughterhomicideisthekillingofonehumanbeingbyanotherhumanbeing Therearelawfulhomicideandunlawfulhomicide Anyunlawfulkillingiseithermurderormanslaughter Murderisthekillingofahumanbeingwithmalice Manslaughterisanunlawfulkillingofanotherwithoutmalice SourcesofCriminalLaw IntheU K CommonlawCriminalLawAct 1977 IntheU S CommonlawstatutesMoststatesdefinecrimesthroughstatutese g IllinoisCriminalCodeModelPenalCode SourcesofCriminalLaw ModelPenalCodeNowover2 3ofthestateshaveenactednewcriminalcodesbased toagreaterorlesserextent ontheModelPenalCode MPC adoptedbytheAmericanLawInstitutein1962 CategoriesofCriminalLaw Substantivecriminallawlawthatconcernswhatconstitutescriminalbehavior whattheelementsofacrimeare andwhatpunishmentisappropriateforagivencriminalactProceduralcriminallawlawthatconcernstherulesbywhichthegovernmentmustabidebeforeitcandepriveoneofitscitizensoflife liberty orproperty ElementsofaCrime Acrimeincludingthefollowingcomponents 1 thewrongfulact actusreus 2 theculpablestateofmind mensrea 3 causation 1 Thewrongfulact anunlawfulvoluntaryact avoluntaryactoccurswhentheaccusedcauseshisorherbodytomoveinamannerthatproducesprohibitedconduct notvoluntaryacts e g 1 areflexorconvulsion 2 abodilymovementduringunconsciousnessorsleep 3 conductduringhypnosisorresultingfromhypnoticsuggestion ElementsofaCrime 2 TheCulpableStateofMindanallegedcriminaloffendershouldpossessaguiltymindatthetimeofthecommissionofthewrongfulact Itisoftendifficulttoprovethatpersonactedwithaguiltymind andprosecutorsoftenhavetoproveitindirectlyandcircumstantially TheModelPenalCoderecognizesfourmodesofculpability 1 purpose 2 knowledge 3 recklessness and 4 negligence Wrongfulact Wrongfulact1 crimesofcommission2 crimesofomission ElementsofaCrime 2 TheModesofCulpabilityPurpose Apersonshehasaconsciousdesiretoengageincertainconductorachieveaparticularresult Knowledge Apersonisawarethataprohibitedresultorharmisverylikelytooccur butdoesnothaveaconsciousdesiretoproducesucharesultorharm Recklessness Apersonconsciouslydisregardsthewelfareofothersandcreatesasignificantrisk nolaw abidingpersonwouldhaveconsciouslycreated Negligence Apersonunconsciouslydisregardthewelfareofothersandcreatesasignificantriskwhichhe sheshouldhavebeenaware ElementsofaCrime LiabilitywithoutfaultOn3conditions anactcouldconstitutecrimewithouttheelementoffault 1 publicwelfareoffenses2 vicariousliability eg employment 3 corporateliability ElementsofaCrime TwoexamplesforyouIfapersonsetsabuildingonfire thepersonmaybeawarethatitisverylikelythatpeopleinsidewillbeinjured andyethopesthatpersonescapeandthatonlythebuildingisburned Whenadriverisdrivingonthehighway sheconsciouslytakehereyesofftheroadtotakecareofacryinginfant Sheisawarethatthisconductcreatesrisksforotherdriversandpedestrians andiswillingtoexposeotherstodanger InchoateCrime TheCriminallawrecognizessociety sneedtoprotectitselffromdangerouspeoplewhohavenotyetcompletedtheirintendedcriminalacts Thelawdefinesthepreparatoryactivitiesofsolicitation attemptandconspiracyasinchoatecrimes InchoateCrime SomequestionsonsolicitationSolicitationisaspecificintentcrimecommittedbyapersonwhoasks hires orencouragesanothertocommitacrime Itmakesnodifferencewhetherthesolicitedpersonacceptstheofferornot Ifapersonsolicitaminortocommitacrime InchoateCrime Thecrimeofattemptiscommittedbyaperson 1 whohastheintenttocommitacrime 2 Whohasdoneanactthattendstorealizetheintent 3 Undersomecircumstancestheactdoesnotresultinthecompletionofthecrime InchoateCrime Thecrimeofconspiracyiscommittedwhentwoormorepeoplecombinetocommitacriminalact Theessentialofconspiracyistheagreementtocommitacriminalact coupledwiththecommissionofsomeactsbyoneormoreco conspiratorsthattendstoimplementtheagreement Thecrimeofconspiracyisdesignedtoprotectsocietyfromgroupcriminality Defenses DefensesThelawrecognizesthatspecialcircumstancesmayexistthatshouldmitigateoreliminatecriminalresponsibility Defensescouldbebroadlydividedinto2categories Failure of ProofDefenses 举证失败抗辩 AffirmativeDefenses 确认抗辩 2 Defensesusuallyincludeinsanity intoxication entrapment defenseofpersonsandproperty andduress Defenses Failure of ProofDefensesinclude 1 mistakeoffact2 mistakeoflaw3 diminishedcapacity4 intoxication Defenses AffirmativeDefensesinclude 1 self defense defenseofothers defenseofpoverty2 insanity3 Duress Necessity Defenses Intoxication bydrinkordrug Itisrecognizedasadefenseinlimitedcircumstances Thereisadivisionbetweenvoluntaryintoxicationandinvoluntaryintoxication Voluntaryintoxicationisgenerallynotadefense Defenses Insanity theaccusedisnotcriminallyresponsibleforhisorherconductduetoeithermentaldiseaseordefectandiftheaccusedlackedsubstantialcapacitytounderstanditscriminality Defenses Entrapmentwascreatedtodeterpoliceofficersfrominducinginnocentpeopletocommitcrimes Ifanofficerprovidesapersonwhoispreviouslydisposedtocommitacriminalactwiththeopportunitytodoso thatisnoentrapment If however anofficerplacedthenotionofcriminalwrongdoinginthedefendant smind andthatpersonwaspreviouslynotdisposedtocommittheact entrapmenthasoccurredandthechargeswillbedismissed Defenses Defenseofpersonsandproperty self defense defenseofothers Apersonisentitledtousereasonableforcetodefendhimselforherselffromdeathors