California Criminal Law: Cases and Problems (2011)

This book emphasizes cases and problems as a vehicle for teaching students how to read and understand cases and statutes and to construct legal arguments. The cases are presented in relatively complete form, often with concurring and dissenting opinions in order to give students examples of fully developed legal arguments. The many short problems throughout the book are all taken from real cases and ask the students to develop the appropriate legal arguments based on the cases they have read. Each chapter begins with an introduction to give background to the cases and to outline the issues to be explored. Notes, which have been kept to a minimum, are generally used to extend the students' analysis by asking them to consider theoretical or policy issues raised by the cases or alternative approaches contained in the Model Penal Code or other jurisdictions. The Third Edition includes many new and influential California cases, as well as new problems, continuing the commitment to showing the students current developments in the criminal law.