Criminal Law

by Paul H. Robinson

In his student treatise, noted authority Paul Robinson uses the Model Penal Code, realistic hypotheticals, and lucid explanations to describe the existing rules of American criminal law. (In fact, professors consistantly remark on how well written and clear Robinson's text is.) He explains the reasoning behind those rules, the interrelation among them, and their application. Robinson gives the MPC's position on each topic, along with the most common deviations from it. Rather than viewing each rule in isolation, he examines each part of criminal law as a piece of a machine for determining criminal liability. The six parts of the book define those Introduction

General Principles in the Definition of Offenses Principles of Imputation General Defenses Inchoate Liability Specific Offenses Since lawyers who know the reasoning of the drafters have a powerful advantage in arguing for a particular interpretation of a code provision, Robinson points students to important bibliographic sources at the end of each section.

Each chapter starts with a hypothetical based on a real case. Throughout the chapter, Robinson refers back to the hypothetical, using it as a vehicle to analyze and clarify abstract concepts.

Numerous footnotes, case references, and bibliographies make this text a lasting research tool. For a meaningful exploration of this fascinating area of study, you can depend on Paul Robinson's Criminal Law. Be sure to recommend this vital work to your next criminal law class.

Hardcover

First published March 1, 1997

About the author

Paul Robinson is one of the world’s leading criminal law scholars. 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. Among his books are the standard lawyer’s reference on criminal law defenses, two Oxford monographs on criminal law theory, a highly regarded criminal law treatise, and an innovative case studies course book.

He is the lead editor of Criminal Law Conversations (Oxford, 2009), based on a 10-month online debate by more than 100 scholars from around the world, and author of Distributive Principles of Criminal Law: Who Should Be Punished How Much? (Oxford, 2008; also appearing in Spanish and Chinese). Robinson recently completed two criminal code reform projects in the United States and the first modern Islamic penal code under the auspices of the U.N. Development Program. He also writes for general audiences, including popular books such as Would You Convict? Seventeen Cases that Challenged the Law (NYU, 1999) and Law without Justice: Why Criminal Law Doesn’t Give People What They Deserve (Oxford, 2005).