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Basic Course Instructor Unit Guide 5: Introduction to Criminal Law

NCJ Number
155764
Date Published
1995
Length
34 pages
Annotation
Intended for use in training California law enforcement personnel, this document presents an outline for California law enforcement trainers and criminal justice educators who are delivering performance-based law-enforcement training on the basic principles and concepts of Federal and California criminal law.
Abstract
The curriculum outline presents the sources of the law and notes the seven State codes that police officers are most likely to encounter. It also explains the difference between the spirit of the law and the letter of the law; the definition of a crime; the classification of crimes into felonies, misdemeanors, wobblers, and infractions; the elements of the crime; and the concept of an attempt to commit a crime. Other sections focus on the distinction between criminal and civil law; the nature of criminal intent; principals, accessories, and accomplices; persons legally incapable of committing crimes; and entrapment. Glossary, additional explanations of specific terms and concepts, and 13 references