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1、CriminalLaw1.GeneralIntroductionCriminallawisthebodyofthelawthatdefinescriminaloffenses,regulatestheapprehension,charging,andtrialofsuspectedoffenders,andfixespunishmentforconvictedpersons.Substantivecriminallawdefinesparticularcrimes,andprocedurallawestablishesrules
2、fortheprosecutionofcrime.Inademocraticsociety,itisthefunctionofthelegislativebodiestodecidewhatbehaviorwillbemadecriminalandwhatpenaltieswillbeattachedtoviolationsofthelaw.Capitalpunishmentmaybeimposedinsomejurisdictionsforthemostseriouscrimes.Andphysicalorcorporalpu
3、nishmentmaystillbeimposedsuchaswhippingorcaning,althoughthesepunishmentsareprohibitedinmuchoftheworld.Aconvictmaybeincarceratedinprisonorjailandthelengthofincarcerationmayvaryfromadaytolife.Criminallawisareflectionofthesocietythatproduceit.InanIslamictheocracy,suchas
4、Iran,criminallawwillreflectthereligiousteachingsoftheKoran;inanCatholiccountry,itwillreflectthetenetsofCatholicism.Inaddition,criminallawwillchangetoreflectchangesinsociety,especiallyattitudechanges.Forinstance,useofmarijuanawasonceconsideredaseriouscrimewithharshpen
5、alties,whereastodaythepenaltiesinmoststatesarerelativelylight.Asseverityofthepenaltieswasreduced.Asasocietyadvances,itsjudgmentsaboutcrimeandpunishmentchange.2.ElementsofaCrimeObviously,differentcrimesrequiredifferentbehaviors,buttherearecommonelementsnecessaryforpro
6、vingallcrimes.First,theprohibitedbehaviordesignatedasacrimemustbeclearlydefinedsothatareasonablepersoncanbeforewarnedthatengaginginthatbehaviorisillegal.Second,theaccusedmustbeshowntohavepossessedtherequisiteintenttocommitthecrime.Third,thestatemustprovecausation.Fin
7、ally,thestatemustprovebeyondareasonabledoubtthatthedefendantcommittedthecrime.(1)actusreusThefirstelementofcrimeistheactusreus.Actusisanactoractionandreusisapersonjudiciallyaccusedofacrime.Therefore,actusreusisliterallytheactionofapersonaccusedofacrime.Acriminalstatu
8、temustclearlydefineexactlywhatactisdeemed“guilty”---thatis,theexactbehaviorthatisbeingprohibited.Thatisdonesothatallpersonsareputon
