Criminal and Forensic Evidence: Cases, Materials, Problems - 4th Edition - Robert Goodwin

Criminal and Forensic Evidence: Cases, Materials, Problems 4th Edition Robert Goodwin ISBN 9780769894386

This distinctive casebook offers a modern, comprehensive approach to the study of evidence in criminal trial litigation. It addresses both traditional evidentiary issues—such as evidence of prior bad acts offered for purposes other than propensity, or evidence of a rape victim’s prior sexual behavior—and contemporary issues related to forensic evidence, including expert testimony. The materials are organized in two parts, allowing instructors to teach a Criminal Evidence course focused solely on forensic science, solely on traditional criminal evidentiary issues, or a combination of both.

The Fourth Edition is a major revision, updating nearly every chapter with new cases and materials. Twenty-six new cases have been added, each accompanied by thorough notes and questions. Key updates include:

• Chapter 5: Evidence Based on Research in Social and Behavioral Science – new cases address the admissibility of expert testimony on eyewitness identification, rape trauma syndrome, child sexual abuse syndrome, and battered woman syndrome.

• Chapter 8: Hearsay Where Declarant Availability is Immaterial – includes three recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions (Bullcoming v. New Mexico, 2011; Michigan v. Bryant, 2011; Williams v. Illinois, 2012) and a California Supreme Court case discussing the implications of Williams.

• Chapter 10: Impeachment – substantially revised with new cases on impeachment by prior conviction, misconduct not resulting in conviction, opinion testimony regarding a witness’s truthfulness, and impeachment by contradiction.

• Chapter 11: Photographs, Videotapes, Audio Recordings, and Demonstrations – new cases cover the admission of graphic autopsy photographs, foundational requirements for videotape evidence, and computer-generated evidence, including computer animations and simulations.

This edition provides students and instructors with a comprehensive, up-to-date resource for understanding the evolving landscape of criminal evidence, balancing traditional doctrine with the latest developments in forensic and technological evidence.

Criminal and Forensic Evidence: Cases, Materials, Problems 4th Edition Robert Goodwin ISBN 9780769894386, 978-0769894386 & 9780769894393

Authors
Robert Goodwin
Jimmy Gurule