Criminology and Future Crime-Fighting Technologies

MBE Rapid Fire - Criminal Procedure

To analyze a 4th Amendment issue, ask: Was there a search or seizure by a government actor? Was it supported by probable cause and a valid warrant? If not, determine whether a recognized exception to the warrant requirement applies.

MBE Rapid Fire - Criminal Law

A crime requires a voluntary act (actus reus) and a guilty mind (mens rea) occurring at the same time (concurrence). If the crime results in harm, the act must also be the actual and proximate cause of that harm (causation).

MBE Criminal Procedure - 8th Amendment, Burdens, and Appeals

The 8th Amendment prohibits cruel and unusual punishment, protecting individuals from torture and punishments that are grossly disproportionate to the offense. It ensures fairness and humane treatment in the criminal justice system.

MBE Criminal Procedure - Trial Rights and Procedures

A grand jury is a group of citizens who serve as an investigative body to determine whether there is probable cause to formally charge a suspect with a crime. It is required for all federal felony charges under the U.S. Constitution.

MBE Criminal Procedure - Right to Counsel and Identification Procedures

These are methods used to help witnesses identify suspects before trial. They include lineups (multiple people), showups (a single suspect), and photo arrays (a group of photographs), each designed to aid accurate identification while minimizing suggestiveness.

MBE Criminal Procedure - Confessions and Self-Incrimination

The 5th Amendment protects individuals from being compelled to testify against themselves in a criminal case. This means a person cannot be forced to provide evidence or statements that could incriminate them, ensuring the right to remain silent.

MBE Criminal Procedure - Arrests, Searches and Seizures

The 4th Amendment protects people from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government and requires that warrants be supported by probable cause and properly issued. This ensures privacy and limits government intrusion.

MBE Criminal Law - Defenses

Defenses fall into two main categories: Capacity defenses, which argue the defendant lacked the ability to form the required intent (e.g., insanity, voluntary intoxication), and Justification defenses, which admit the act but claim it was legally justified (e.g., self-defense).

MBE Criminal Law - Inchoate Crimes and Parties to a Crime

Inchoate crimes are “incomplete” offenses where the defendant takes steps toward committing a crime but doesn't complete it. The main inchoate crimes are attempt, conspiracy, and solicitation.