• FreeAdvice has a new Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, effective May 25, 2018.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our Terms of Service and use of cookies.

criminal law literature that would be good for most people to read

Accident - Bankruptcy - Criminal Law / DUI - Business - Consumer - Employment - Family - Immigration - Real Estate - Tax - Traffic - Wills   Please click a topic or scroll down for more.

Leyeden

Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Ohio

would someone recommend some literature for criminal law that would be good for any adult to read? kind of a good guide or overview with important points

thanks
 


quincy

Senior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Ohio

would someone recommend some literature for criminal law that would be good for any adult to read? kind of a good guide or overview with important points

thanks
You might want to visit an area law library and ask the librarian.
 

adjusterjack

Senior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Ohio

would someone recommend some literature for criminal law that would be good for any adult to read? kind of a good guide or overview with important points

thanks
You'll find the most important points in the Ohio Criminal Code:

https://law.justia.com/codes/ohio/2016/title-29/

Equally important are the Ohio Rules of Criminal Procedure:

http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/LegalResources/Rules/criminal/CriminalProcedure.pdf

Read both in their entirety and if any particular topic appeals to you, you can google for further reading matter.
 

Taxing Matters

Overtaxed Member
You'll find the most important points in the Ohio Criminal Code:

https://law.justia.com/codes/ohio/2016/title-29/

Equally important are the Ohio Rules of Criminal Procedure:

http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/LegalResources/Rules/criminal/CriminalProcedure.pdf

Read both in their entirety and if any particular topic appeals to you, you can google for further reading matter.
While good resources to look up particular statutes and court rules, doing as you suggest is not a very efficient or effective way to learn to learn the basics of criminal law, particularly since those resources exclude much of what is relevant in criminal cases, like court decisions interpreting the federal and state constitutions, the statutes, etc. It is far better to find a coursebook or treatise on criminal law that organizes all these things, explains the relevance of them, and how the are applied in practice.
 

quincy

Senior Member
For one good text (out of many that could be considered), there is "Criminal Law" by Lloyd L. Weinreb, Dane Professor of Law, Harvard University, published by Foundation Press.

But because there are eight law schools in Ohio, finding a law library and librarian (or a friendly law professor) to direct you to good texts should not be too much of a challenge.
 

latigo

Senior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Ohio

would someone recommend some literature for criminal law that would be good for any adult to read? kind of a good guide or overview with important points

thanks
Contrary to adjusterjack's LAYMAN'S OPINION you aren't going to learn much about the subject by reading codified laws and procedural rules! It would be like trying to learn a foreign language by studying one of the Collins' dictionaries.

One treatise on the subject that seems to be generally recommended is Joshua Dressler's "Understanding Criminal Law" 6th Edition - available through Amazon for as little as $9.00 used paperback.

Good luck.
 

quincy

Senior Member
Contrary to adjusterjack's LAYMAN'S OPINION you aren't going to learn much about the subject by reading codified laws and procedural rules! It would be like trying to learn a foreign language by studying one of the Collins' dictionaries.

One treatise on the subject that seems to be generally recommended is Joshua Dressler's "Understanding Criminal Law" 6th Edition - available through Amazon for as little as $9.00 used paperback.

Good luck.
I found your suggested text for $1.99 through Barnes & Noble.
 

westside

Member
Contrary to adjusterjack's LAYMAN'S OPINION you aren't going to learn much about the subject by reading codified laws and procedural rules! It would be like trying to learn a foreign language by studying one of the Collins' dictionaries.

One treatise on the subject that seems to be generally recommended is Joshua Dressler's "Understanding Criminal Law" 6th Edition - available through Amazon for as little as $9.00 used paperback.

Good luck.
I know a lot of laymen who can read and understand the (in this case) ORC every bit as well as the average lawyer. It's not remotely the most complicated part of the practice of law, and may well be the least.
 

quincy

Senior Member
I know a lot of laymen who can read and understand the (in this case) ORC every bit as well as the average lawyer. It's not remotely the most complicated part of the practice of law, and may well be the least.
That is not what latigo or Taxing Matters were saying. They were saying that statutes and court rules are not the way to learn the basics of criminal law. I agree.
 

LdiJ

Senior Member
That is not what latigo or Taxing Matters were saying. They were saying that statutes and court rules are not the way to learn the basics of criminal law. I agree.
I agree on the court rules, but the statutes are also important. All of the suggested books are going to include statutes as part of the teaching of law.
 

westside

Member
That is not what latigo or Taxing Matters were saying. They were saying that statutes and court rules are not the way to learn the basics of criminal law. I agree.
I'll agree, other that saying there seemed to be an implication by one of them that the reading of the actual law is too complex for the average layman, which is nonsense.
 

Find the Right Lawyer for Your Legal Issue!

Fast, Free, and Confidential
data-ad-format="auto">
Top