Kidnapping as a Crime Against People
You will select one standard crime against persons such as assault; rape; kidnapping; battery; etc. Then research the elements that would need to be proven in court under English Common law ensuring that terms are defined. Then you should research a state for its statute(s) for the same crime and explain the elements that need to be proven today. Lastly, you will compare and contrast English Common Law with the state statute(s).In this part of the essay, you will be selecting a state criminal statute and researching the elements of the stature and the historical common law upon which the statute is based.
Select one standard crime against persons such as:
Assault
Rape
Kidnapping
Battery
Any standard crime against persons
Select a state to research
Select a state statute to research the elements for the selected crime. The Legal Research link provides instructions in conducting research in locating state statutes. The Webliography area of the course and the McAfee online Library can be used as well along with any reliable criminal justice resource.
For the selected state, write a description of the elements of the current state statute for that crime
Research historical common law and write a description of the elements of the crime under based on historical common law.
Compare how the elements of the crime have changed from the historical common law to the current state statute.
Discuss possible reasons for the changes from the historical common law to the current state statute.
Suggest new changes in the statute, based on society’s needs today. Include specific examples from personal experience or current events.
