Introduction to Criminal Law: Lecture 2 of 3: Criminal Defenses

Session 2: Criminal Defenses

Objective:

To explore the various defenses that can be used in criminal cases and understand how they are applied in practice.

Key Topics:

Justification Defenses:

Self-Defense: The right to protect oneself from imminent harm.

Example: Use of reasonable force to defend against an attacker.

Defense of Others: Similar principles as self-defense but applied to protecting others.

Defense of Property: Limits on the use of force to protect property.

Excuse Defenses:

Insanity: A mental disorder that prevents the defendant from understanding the wrongfulness of their actions.

Discussion of the M’Naghten Rule and Model Penal Code standards.

Duress: When a defendant commits a crime due to coercion or threat of harm.

Intoxication: Voluntary vs. involuntary intoxication and their impact on mens rea.

Procedural Defenses:

Entrapment: When law enforcement induces a person to commit a crime they would not otherwise have committed.

Statute of Limitations: Time limits on prosecuting certain crimes.