Criminal Law and Procedure, Cases and Materials - 15th Edition - Dripps, Boyce, & Perkins

Criminal Law and Procedure Cases and Materials 15th Edition ISBN 9798892097154

The Fifteenth Edition reaffirms the book’s longstanding commitment to delivering the most comprehensive, intellectually rigorous, and pedagogically flexible materials available on the American criminal process. Building on the strengths of prior editions, this new edition integrates a wide array of significant legal developments, especially in the realm of substantive criminal law, while also streamlining content to enhance clarity and accessibility for both students and instructors.

Substantive Criminal Law Updates

This edition incorporates a rich selection of new case law, both from the U.S. Supreme Court and influential lower courts, reflecting the dynamic evolution of criminal law doctrine and its interaction with contemporary social and political issues:

• New Supreme Court Decisions with Full Case Treatment:
  • City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson, 144 S. Ct. 2202 (2024): The Court rejected an Eighth Amendment challenge to a municipal ordinance criminalizing sleeping in public spaces, a decision with broad implications for the criminalization of homelessness and poverty-related conduct.
  • Ruan v. United States, 597 U.S. 450 (2022): This decision clarified that to convict a licensed medical professional of unlawful distribution under the Controlled Substances Act, the government must prove that the defendant knowingly and intentionally acted without authorization—affirming the necessity of scienter in certain criminal statutes.
  • Ramos v. Louisiana, 590 U.S. 83 (2020): The Court held that the Sixth Amendment right to a jury trial, as incorporated against the states by the Fourteenth Amendment, includes the requirement of a unanimous verdict for a conviction—reversing longstanding precedent in states that permitted non-unanimous verdicts in criminal cases.
  • A concise but thought-provoking discussion of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, 597 U.S. 215 (2022), is also included. While the ruling formally overruled Roe v. Wade, this edition uses the decision as a springboard for deeper inquiry into the future of substantive due process jurisprudence, particularly with respect to the continued viability of precedents such as Lawrence v. Texas.
• Important Developments from Lower Courts: The new edition surveys a number of impactful lower court decisions, addressing topics such as:
  • The void-for-vagueness doctrine, particularly in relation to statutes criminalizing ambiguous or subjective behavior;
  • Second Amendment rights, with a focus on how courts are interpreting gun possession laws in the wake of recent Supreme Court rulings;
  • Emerging trends in homicide law, especially surrounding causation standards and liability for drug-induced deaths;
  • Reconsideration of the insanity defense, including jurisdictions that have modified or eliminated traditional formulations of the defense.
• Updated Treatment of Causation: The causation section has been thoroughly revised to reflect current approaches in case law and scholarship, including developments in the law’s treatment of proximate cause, intervening events, and foreseeability—especially in drug distribution and death cases.
• New Section on Executive Clemency: A brief but significant addition to Chapter 11 introduces students to the doctrine and practice of Executive Clemency, addressing its legal foundations, limitations, and controversial role in criminal justice reform and high-profile pardons.
• Focus on Contemporary Social Issues: The selection of cases throughout the book emphasizes relevance to pressing societal concerns. Topics include:
  • The criminalization of homelessness;
  • Gun rights and regulation in light of evolving Second Amendment jurisprudence;
  • Reproductive rights and their intersection with criminal statutes;
  • The rise of prosecutions for drug sales resulting in death;
  • Parental criminal liability for the conduct of minor children, particularly in the context of school shootings.

Streamlining and Refinement

In an effort to enhance usability and instructional efficiency, this edition incorporates a systematic condensation of case materials. Where appropriate, the editors have:

• Reduced the length of judicial opinions by excising less critical portions while preserving essential doctrinal content;
• Replaced older, lengthier cases with newer, more concise decisions that better encapsulate the relevant legal principles.

This editorial refinement ensures that the core pedagogical value of the materials is preserved, while making the book more accessible for teaching and learning in contemporary law school classrooms.

Criminal Law and Procedure: Cases & Materials (15th) ISBNs 979-8892097154 & 9798892097154