American Criminal Law

Paul H. Robinson is one of the world’s leading criminal law scholars. A prolific writer and lecturer, Robinson has published articles in virtually all of the top law reviews, lectured in more than 100 cities in 33 states and 27 countries, and had his writings appear in 13 languages. A former federal prosecutor and counsel for the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Criminal Laws and Procedures, he was the lone dissenter when the U.S. Sentencing Commission promulgated the current federal sentencing guidelines. He is the author or editor of 17 books, including the standard lawyer’s reference on criminal law defenses, three monographs on criminal law theory, a highly regarded criminal law treatise, and an innovative case studies course book. Sarah M. Robinson is a former sergeant in the U.S. Army and a practiced social worker. She currently works as an author and researcher.

Chronological Table of Principal Cases; Preface; Part I. Liability Principles; Ch. 1 Legality: Hitler’s Warmaking; Ch. 2 Punishment Theory: The Prince of Pickpockets; Ch. 3 Culpability: Homer Simpson’s Felony Murder; Ch. 4 Homicide Provocation: A Webster Murder at Harvard; Ch. 5 Causation: The Grand Wizard Causes a Suicide; Ch. 6 Consent: Marquis De Sade’s Sadomasochism; Ch. 7 Attempt: From Child Rape to Cannibal Cop; Ch. 8 Complicity: The Haymarket Riots; Ch. 9 Conspiracy: Lincoln’s Non-Assassins; Ch. 10 Omissions: The Richest Woman in America Neglects Her Son; Part II. General Defenses; Ch. 11 Lesser Evils: Cannibalism at Sea; Ch. 12 Self-Defense: Slave Celia Defends Against Rape; Ch. 13 Law Enforcement Authority: Gunfight at the OK Corral; Ch. 14 Insanity: The Assassination of President Garfield; Ch. 15 Immaturity: Billy the Kid’s First Killing; Ch. 16 Statute of Limitation: Hunting Nazi War Criminals; Ch. 17 Entrapment: Mary Queen of Scots Plots an Overthrow; Part III. Specific Offenses; Ch. 18 Endangerment: Causing the Johnstown Flood; Ch. 19 Extortion: Blackmailing Elvis Presley; Ch. 20 Domestic Violence: Ike & Tina Turner: What’s Love Got to Do with It?; Ch. 21 Harassment: Wooing Bette Davis; Ch. 22 Statutory Rape: Oscar Wilde’s Sodomy; Ch. 23 Adultery: Frank Sinatra and a Changing Morality; Ch. 24 Obscenity: Fanny Hill, the Most Prosecuted Book in History; Ch. 25 Child Pornography: Lewis Carroll Photographs Alice in Wonderland; Ch. 26 Deceptive Business Practices: Collier’s Great American Fraud; Ch. 27 Rigging Sporting Events: The Dean of Race Fixing; Ch. 28 Anti-Competition: Vanderbilt’s Market Manipulation; Ch. 29 RICO: Joe Bananas Builds a Criminal Empire; Part IV. Supplemental Issues; Ch. 30 Jurisdiction: The Aaron Burr-Alexander Hamilton Duel; Ch. 31 Extradition & Rendition: The Hatfields and McCoys Feud; Ch. 32 Patterns and Themes