Foundations of Criminal Law in the United States

Topic

Foundations of Criminal Law in the United States

Instructions

1. Identify the bases and sources of American criminal law.
2. Discuss how substantive criminal law defines a crime and the legal responsibility of the accused.
3. Describe how procedural criminal law defines the rights of the accused and the processes for dealing with a case.
4. Explain the U.S. Supreme Court’s role in interpreting the criminal justice amendments to the Constitution.

Answer preview

This chapter provides an insight on the foundations of criminal law in the United States, which are based on substantive and procedural criminal law.  According to this chapter the criminal laws inform citizens of their responsibility towards the state, as well as towards individuals. Further, the chapter provides a definition of crimes, whereby according to the penal code the definition of crime differs between the federal and state government.  To understand the meaning of crime the chapter provides the elements of a crime, which include mens rea and actus reus.

Word count: 315