The fourth edition of Criminal Law Today presents a comprehensive, accessible, and up-to-date introduction to the basics of criminal law. The text provides students with the tools and information they need to gain an understanding of the fundamental nature of law, general legal principles, the historical development of criminal law, and its form and function in American society today. Key features are case excerpts that illustrate important legal themes in the context of the chapter topics.

New to the Fourth Edition:

-MyCrimeKit website offers multimedia, study materials, assessment questions, access to full-text versions of the Capstone Cases, and many other up-to-date online resources for students and instructors.

-Full-color diagrams, illustrations, and other figures have been added to reinforce key concepts in the chapters and illustrate important, complex, and challenging concepts for easier understanding.

-Chapter 11, “Terrorism and Human Trafficking,” discusses terrorist activity as defined under federal law, relevant provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, Guantanamo inmates entering the civilian court system, and human smuggling.

-Coverage of Islamic law (Chapter 1), cybercrime (Chapter 10), and environmental crime (Chapter 10).