406: Listen and Learn -- Defenses to a Crime

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're looking at a few specific defenses in Criminal Law, which - if used successfully - may exonerate a defendant or reduce their punishment. In this episode we discuss: Factual and affirmative defenses Perfect and imperfect affirmative defenses The defense of duress Defenses having to do with the defendant's mental state Self-defense and defense of others Analyzing two essay questions from previous California bar exams Resources: "Listen and Learn" series (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/law-school-toolbox-podcast-substantive-law-topics/#listen-learn) California Bar Examination – Essay Questions and Selected Answers, February 2007 (https://juraxbar.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/February-2007-CBX.pdf) California Bar Examination – Essay Questions and Selected Answers, October 2020 (https://www.calbar.ca.gov/Portals/0/documents/admissions/Examinations/October-2020-Essay-Selected-Answers.pdf) Podcast Episode 357: Listen and Learn – Prosecution of a Criminal Trial (Burdens, Presumptions, Sufficiency) (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-357-listen-and-learn-prosecution-of-a-criminal-trial-burdens-presumptions-sufficiency/) Download the Transcript  (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/episode-406-listen-and-learn-defenses-to-a-crime/) If you enjoy the podcast, we'd love a nice review and/or rating on Apple Podcasts (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/law-school-toolbox-podcast/id1027603976) or your favorite listening app. And feel free to reach out to us directly. You can always reach us via the contact form on the Law School Toolbox website (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/contact). If you're concerned about the bar exam, check out our sister site, the Bar Exam Toolbox (http://barexamtoolbox.com/). You can also sign up for our weekly podcast newsletter (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/get-law-school-podcast-updates/) to make sure you never miss an episode! Thanks for listening! Alison & Lee