Basic Criminal Law: The Constitution, Procedure, and Crimes, 4th Edition

The text is rich with features that guide students through the history of criminal law, the crimes themselves, and specific legal procedures:

• Revised! “Historical Highlights” throughout the book illustrate pivotal events in American legal history that remain influential today and continue to inform legal and public debate providing students with a historical context and the legal cultural literacy necessary for legal professionals to succeed.
• Expanded! Evidence concepts for each crime chapter show how prosecutors, police, paralegals, defense attorneys, and other criminal justice professionals can use rapidly changing technologies in court.
• Expanded! Sections on defenses to crimes and on Castle Laws and "Stand Your Ground" Laws.
• Revised! A revised and expanded section on appeals.
• Expanded! Use of examples to illustrate each key learning concept.
• Expanded! More state statute examples show how individual states handle crimes.
• Expanded! An increased emphasis on procedure provides legal and criminal justice professionals the key skills they will need in the workplace.
• Updated! More charts and diagrams show key trends in the field.
• Crimes First, Procedure Second approach familiarizes students with laws, their histories and underlying theories, before proceeding to specific legal procedures and engages students by providing compelling context for the concepts they are learning.
• Streamlined, manageable coverage of criminal law at the beginning of the text gives students the sound theoretical base they need to apply legal procedures effectively. 
• Strong historical approach, appropriate for both four-year liberal arts degree programs and paralegal programs, helps students understand the context of today’s criminal law and the historical foundations of recent developments.  

Every chapter offers opportunities to develop the real-world skills that students will need when they enter the workforce:

• Updated! “You Make the Call” sections spur lively classroom discussions by presenting students with controversial cases from recent current events, often using actual court documents.
• Hands-on case portfolio-building applications help students build portfolios that demonstrate their research and analysis skills to prospective employersand serve as a valuable personal reference guide as they begin their careers.
• Practice Pointers highlight specific issues students will face in the workforce and prepare students for the realities of life working as a paralegal or in other criminal justice roles.
• Each chapter ends with a Concept Review and Reinforcement section that focuses the student on the chapter’s key concepts, as well as a Key Terms section that provides a list of critical terms used in the chapter.
• Concept Review Questions offer simple questions that confirm students’ understanding of the major concepts in the chapter and provide the grounding needed to tackle the Building Your Professional Skills section.
• Comprehensive “Building Your Professional Skills” sections in each chapter include Case Applications that illustrate key concepts and Critical-Thinking Exercises that ask students to confront hypothetical situations. 

The text’s teaching resources are available online to download and include an Instructor’s Manual, PowerPoint lecture slides, and a Test Bank:

• Updated! The Instructor’s Manual contains sample syllabi and chapter notes, including a chapter outline, brief overview of topics, instructional ideas, additional readings and occasional viewing recommendations, and suggested answers to discussion questions.
• Updated! MyTest Test GeneratorMyTest My  a allows instructors to generate quizzes and tests composed of questions from the Test Item File, modify them, and add their own questions.
• Updated! The PowerPoint Lecture Presentation includes key concept screens and exhibits from the textbook.