Introduction to Criminal Law: Lecture 2 of 3: Criminal Defenses

Session 2: Criminal Defenses Objective: To explore the various defenses that can be used in criminal cases and understand how they are applied in practice. Key Topics: Justification Defenses: Self-Defense: The right to protect oneself from imminent harm. Example: Use of reasonable force to defend against an attacker. Defense of Others: Similar principles as self-defense but applied to protecting others. Defense of Property: Limits on the use of force to protect property. Excuse Defenses: Insanity: A mental disorder that prevents the defendant from understanding the wrongfulness of their actions. Discussion of the M’Naghten Rule and Model Penal Code standards. Duress: When a defendant commits a crime due to coercion or threat of harm. Intoxication: Voluntary vs. involuntary intoxication and their impact on mens rea. Procedural Defenses: Entrapment: When law enforcement induces a person to commit a crime they would not otherwise have committed. Statute of Limitations: Time limits on prosecuting certain crimes.