Rather than just list the elements of a criminal offense or defense, O’Connor’s Texas Criminal Offenses & Defenses explains the elements. It drills down, synthesizing statutes and case law to give the reader a thorough understanding of the most common criminal offenses and defenses in Texas.
But for all its detail, the book is exceedingly easy to use — it is written in plain English, has an easy-to-follow outline structure, and comes in a portable single volume.
The book includes the following:
- A deep dive on the elements of dozens of frequently charged criminal offenses, including DWI, possession of marijuana, theft, assault, and murder.
- An in-depth look at the elements of defenses and justifications available to criminal defendants, including self defense, mistake of fact, insanity, and duress.
- Enhancements that can be used to increase the punishment for criminal defendants — both general enhancements and offense-specific enhancements are discussed.
- Common, lesser-included offenses for each offense, if applicable.
- Helpful charts covering a range of topics, including what is considered a deadly weapon, what qualifies as a controlled substance, and more.
- Punishment ranges for each offense.
- The applicable statute of limitations for each offense.
- An overview of Texas criminal law that covers sources of criminal liability, classifications of criminal offenses, jurisdictional issues, culpable mental states, preparatory offenses, the calculation of limitations periods, party liability, and more.
- Cross references to sample jury charges that are available on Westlaw.
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