Assignment 1: Criminal Conduct and Criminal Law

Due Week 4 and worth 140 points 

According to the text, crime has been part of the human condition since people began to live in groups. Ancient documents indicate that conduct we now call murder, theft, or robbery was identified as criminal by civilizations that existed thousands of years ago. Criminal laws regulate human conduct and tell people what they can and cannot do and, in some instances, what they must do under certain circumstances. In this assignment, you will explore different types of criminal conduct and the goals of criminal law. 

Write a four to six (4-6) page paper in which you: 

Determine whether or not the Ex Post Facto Clause can be used as a defense to prohibit the increase in federal minimum/mandatory sentencing guidelines after a federal defendant has committed the crime. Provide a rationale to support your position.  
Explain the distinction between criminal, tort, and moral wrongs. Next, support or criticize the premise that the standards set by moral laws are higher than those set by criminal law.  
Identify and discuss the differences between solicitation of another to commit a crime and a conspiracy to commit a crime. Next, support or criticize the use of the unilateral approach to conspiracy convictions.   
Identify the four (4) goals of criminal law, and discuss the manner in which these four goals effectuate the purpose of protecting the public and preventing the conviction of innocent persons.  
Use at least three (3) quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar types of websites do not qualify as academic resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

This course requires use of new Strayer Writing Standards (SWS). The format is different than other Strayer University courses. Please take a moment to review the SWS documentation for details.
Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow SWS or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are: 

Describe the nature and history of American criminal law.
Explain the role of individuals and federal, state, and local government agencies in crime fighting and prosecution of criminal offenses.
Analyze the essential legal elements of criminal conduct.
Use technology and information resources to research issues in criminal law.
Write clearly and concisely about criminal law using proper writing mechanics.

Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic / organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric