This course will examine the legal, social, religious, cultural, and political motivations that justice systems use to characterize certain actions as "criminal." The course will revolve around the traditional reasons for criminal law, namely blameworthiness and punishment, and also examine how institutions use criminal law to serve their narrow interests. This course will introduce theories surrounding criminal law and illustrate how cadets may apply law immediately in their roles as officers. The course will examine federal and state criminal codes and also the Uniform Code of Military Justice. From a legal perspective based on the U.S. Constitution and other criminal codes, some of the topics covered include the death penalty, insanity, corporate crime, conspiracy, murder, necessity, and self-defense.
