In Part I, the first chapter discusses the sources, distinction, and limitation of criminal law and sets the stage for understanding concepts of criminal law. Chapter 2 describes the principle of criminal liability, such as criminal act requirements and criminal state of mind. Chapters 3 through 13 define and explain the issues and crimes most often encountered by the criminal justice system. Chapter topics are capacity and defenses, preparatory activity offenses, offenses against persons (excluding sex offenses), sex-related offenses, offenses against property (destruction and intrusion offenses), theft offenses, forgery and other fraud offenses, morality and decency offenses, public-peace offenses, offenses against justice administration, and offenses against persons and property in the U.S. Criminal Code. In Chapter 14, some of the defenses that can be claimed by people charged with crimes are examined, followed by a chapter that addresses juvenile offenses. In Part II of the book, leading decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court, lower Federal courts, and State courts are presented to instruct the reader in the application of specific laws. The cases presented show the reader the process a court used in reaching its decision, as well as its interpretation of the meaning of a specific statute and its terms. One addition in this edition is the shading of the issue, holding, and important findings within the cases. Another change is the moving of discussion of Federal law to three separate chapters, in order to help readers distinguish how Federal laws are created and enforced.