Fundamentals of Criminal Law and Procedure for Paralegals (Aspen Paralegal Series)

A realistic and practical text for criminal law and procedure

Fundamentals of Criminal Law and Procedure for Paralegals focuses on providing the skills and knowledge students need to function effectively in careers related to criminal law. From investigation and discovery to trial and sentencing, this text traces every step of the way through five hypothetical criminal cases that illustrate procedure, raise discussion questions, and engage students in skill-building exercises. Realistic and practical, the text engages students with discussions of the criminal justice system, the role of police and lawyers, the basic principles of criminal law, constitutional limitations, and trial procedures.

New to the Third Edition:

• Thoroughly updated, incorporating new, more current examples of how our criminal justice system works
• Expanded coverage of
  • Laws dealing with insurrection, rebellion, sedition, and hate crimes
  • Prosecutions of law enforcement personnel for having violated criminal statutes in the course of carrying out their police duties
  • Hate Crimes to include a discussion of how it relates to the death of George Floyd and its use in the prosecution of the Georgia Jogger case
  • The self-defense claims raised by George Zimmerman and Kyle Rittenhouse in their respective prosecutions for murder; the Rittenhouse case raises related issues of vigilantism and gun laws
  • How the court system adopted to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic

Professors and students will benefit from:

• A logical three-part organization:
  • Criminal Law: The criminal justice system, principles of criminal law, and types of criminal offenses
  • Criminal Procedure: From commission of the offense to plea bargaining
  • Criminal Procedure: Trials and their aftermath
• An emphasis on the role of paralegals, lawyers, and law enforcement in criminal cases
• Five hypothetical cases woven throughout the text that illustrate procedure, raise discussion questions and offer opportunities for research exercises
• Coverage of both white collar and "street crime," from both state and federal perspectives
• Excerpts from statutes, court opinions, investigative reports, and pleadings
• Strong pedagogy, including discussion questions, application exercises, marginal definitions, and end-of-chapter review questions
• Assignments that mirror the tasks a paralegal would perform in a prosecutor or defense counsel's office