Option #2: Criminal Law: Case Studies from Two Real Cases
Choose two of the following criminal defendants for in-depth case study examination:
Andrea Yates
OJ Simpson (burglary case)
Charles Manson
Ted Kaczynski
Ted Bundy
Timothy McVeigh
Lorena Bobbit
Jodie Arias
Jack Kevorkian
Bernard Madoff
Dzhokar Tsarnaev
Elizabeth Holmes
John Gotti
Explain the facts of each of your two case selections. Identify the crimes that were committed by the two selected defendants. Be sure to identify the actual elements of the crimes that occurred, including the relevant state or federal statute. Address the defense raised in each case.
Explain the result in each of the two cases. Determine what legal doctrines in criminal law apply and what public-policy reasons support the result. Keep in mind that these famous convicted criminals tend to be known for one main crime, but usually committed several crimes. Be sure to identify all the possible crimes that occurred under the facts (even if the prosecutor did not charge for them).
Explain the punishment that occurred in each case in terms of relevant punishment theory, assessing whether the theory is met.
Your essay must clearly demonstrate your understanding of the criminal law concepts. Do not simply reference them; instead, be sure to define the elements of each crime or doctrine and apply facts from the cases researched to prove or disprove each element. Use clear headings to identify each of the necessary sections in this paper.
Do the following in your paper:
include an introduction;
identify the crimes committed by the selected two criminal law defendants and evaluate the nature and purpose of criminal law as it relates to these crimes;
describe any justification or excuse defenses that were raised;
explain any constitutional doctrines that limited criminal law in either scenario;
discuss the punishment that each received in terms of punishment theory, identifying whether the goal of the theory was met; and
explain any public-policy reasons that support criminal liability (or not) for each defendant.
Submission:
Your paper should be 8-10 pages in length and conform to the CSU Global Writing Center (Links to an external site.).
Include at least four scholarly references in addition to the course textbook. The CSU Global Library is a good place to find these references.
Elizabeth Holmes and Andrea Yates case studies
