Dumb Criminals and Overeager Cops: A Paralegal's Guide to Criminal Law and Procedure

Usually students learning criminal law and procedure are confronted with several dusty cases presented through obstruse legal prose. Obstruse? What does that even mean?In "Dumb Criminals and Overeager Cops," Professor Zachariah B. Parry tells the story of how the U.S. criminal system was developed through the actions of, well, dumb criminals and overeager cops. Paralegals using this book will learn why the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Ernesto Miranda's conviction for kidapping and rape because the police did not properly inform him of his rights. Now, police across the country are required to inform all arrestees, "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law ...."Paralegals will learn the elements of dozens of crimes, along with potential defenses to these crimes using a variety of examples from real life and pop culture.This book has the primary goal of instilling in paralegal candidates a knowledge of the language and basic tenets of substantive and procedural criminal law. Recognizing that to learn, one must be engaged, the book conveys information in an easy-to-follow format with entertaining anecdotal examples so the law comes to life. Read more