Many great features maintain the reliability of this text:

* utilizes current, well-known cases, some of which have not made the appellate courts or even gone to litigation, to make the material current and easily applicable
* includes explanations that provide analysis of both prosecution and defense arguments, offering a pedagogical approach that provides valuable exam-writing skills for students
* remains highly readable and accessible, often incorporating popular culture and humor to spark interest in students
* comes highly recommended by Atticus Falcon, author of Planet Law School, an orientation guide for students beginning law school
* offers a straightforward presentation through clear, introductory text that enables students to understand and apply principles
* incorporates visual aids, in the form of graphs, charts and other illustrations, to demonstrate legal standards and concepts
Updated to reflect recent developments in the news and case law since the Third Edition was published, including:

* more coverage of new excuses, such as Prozac, Serotonin, Testosterone, etc.
* examples and explanations based on prescription drug-induced sleepwalking, death caused by abuse of time-release pain-killing patches, and void for vagueness challenges to laws limiting where sex offenders can live or travel
* Florida self-defense and right-to-carry laws
* recent Supreme Court cases on the insanity defense (Arizona v. Clark) and duress (Dixon v. United States)
* recent Supreme Court case on mental competency
* over 50 new examples, including materials on: - steroid rage - the Zoloft (Prozac) defense - terrorism statutes and prosecutions - the San Francisco dog maul case
Table of Contents

1. The Sources and Limitations of the Criminal Law
2. The Purposes of Punishment
3. Actus Reus
4. The Doctrine of Mens Rea
5. Mistake
6. Strict Liability
7. Causation
8. Homicide
9. Rape
10. Theft
11. Solicitation
12. Attempt
13. Conspiracy
14. Complicity
15. Defenses: An Initial Survey
16. Acts in Emergency: Justification vs. Excuse
17. Defenses Based on Individual Characteristics