Excuses I: Duress, Entrapment, Mistake

Excuses I provides a general introduction to excuse defenses by placing them within the larger context of the analysis of criminal liability. More specifically, Excuses I covers duress, entrapment, and mistake (or "ignorance"). Insanity and infancy are covered in Excuses II.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of the lesson, the student will be able to:

1. Discuss the three preconditions of criminal liability, including violation of a criminal statute, absence of justification, and absence of excuse.
2. Explain the three palatable excuse defenses.
3. Analyze the two principles of entrapment: subjective entrapment and objective entrapment.