The Criminal Laws Of Texas

This is the eBook of the printed book and may not include any media, website access codes, or print supplements that may come packaged with the bound book. For undergraduate courses in Texas Criminal Law Criminal Law in the Lone Star State Texas Criminal Law: Principles and Practices provides an in-depth review of Texas criminal law while highlighting how Texas legal sanctions differ from other states. Its state-specific focus on terminology and laws makes this an ideal text for readers planning to serve in the Texas criminal justice system. The Second Edition uses historical references and inter-state comparisons to examine the Texas criminal law system in varied contexts. The book uses real world examples of the day-to-day application of laws by law enforcement to connect major concepts to their practical application in the field. A scholarly presentation is balanced by an informal tone, making Texas Criminal Law interesting and easily digestible for readers.

Designed for use in a 1L Criminal Law course, this casebook covers the traditional criminal law topics; because Texas is a Model Penal Code jurisdiction, it focuses primarily on Texas cases and statutes. Student self-assessment features include comprehension questions to test understanding of the basic concepts, as well as discussion questions that test students' ability to apply the basic concepts beyond the facts of the presented case. Practice multiple-choice and essay questions at the end of most chapters give students additional opportunities to assess their knowledge. The new edition includes expanded materials on several topics, such as actus reus, mens rea, and causation. Several historically important cases exploring the line between "mere preparation" and an attempted crime have been added (People v. Rizzo and United States v. Mandujano), as well as cases exploring the mens rea of negligence (Commonwealth v. Welansky and State v. Williams). New notes have been added to each chapter to create expanded discussion of each topic.

The Texas criminal justice system has come a long way since the early 1990s, when a vicious crime spree by paroled murderer Kenneth McDuff convinced lawmakers and citizens that the system had broken down. In this book, District Attorney Ken Anderson describes major reforms that followed the McDuff case as he provides a complete overview of the criminal justice system in Texas. Using simple language that any citizen can understand, Anderson describes all aspects of the system--officials (police, prosecutors, judges), criminal procedure, criminal law, criminal punishments, victims' rights, and the juvenile system. He illustrates his points with real-life stories of crime and punishment. Throughout the book, Anderson emphasizes two facts--that crime prevention programs, stricter law enforcement, and increased prison space have dramatically lowered the crime rate in Texas and that citizen activism is very effective in bringing reform to the criminal justice system. This book will be essential reading for everyone--public and professional--concerned with criminal justice in Texas.

Designed for the state of Texas, this book emphasizes the criminal laws of the Lone Star State using an approachable, example-filled style. Each chapter includes references to the source content and emphasizes actual practices and common day-to-day procedures used by Texas law enforcement, prosecutorial, and correctional agencies. Unique CRIMEGRAPHS graphically display the elements of the major offenses contained in the Texas Penal Code and appear in each chapter. Throughout the book, it focuses on the elements of the major criminal offenses and defenses in Texas as described in the Texas Penal Code. For police officers and other criminal justice practitioners.