Criminal Law, Twelfth Edition, a classic introduction to criminal law for criminal justice students, combines the best features of a casebook and a textbook. Its success over numerous editions, both at community colleges as well as in four-year college criminal justice programs, is proof this text works as an authoritative source on criminal law, as well as a teaching text that communicates with students.

The book covers substantive criminal law and explores its principles, sources, distinctions, and limitations. Definitions and elements of crimes are explained, and defenses to crimes are thoroughly analyzed. Each chapter offers guidance to help students understand what is important, including chapter outlines, key terms, learning objectives, Legal News boxes that highlight current criminal law issues, and Quick Checks that cue the reader to stop and answer a question or two concerning the material just covered. Unique Exploring Case Law boxes offer guidance in using the accompanying cases, which are provided on the book's website and in Part II of this textbook. A robust collection of instructor support materials addresses teaching and learning issues.

Updated with all the newest relevant law, this book is appropriate for undergraduate students in criminal law and related courses.

Joycelyn M. Pollock (Ph.D., State University of New York at Albany; J.D., University of Houston) is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Texas State University, San Marcos. In addition to 35 years of teaching at the university level, she delivered training to police officers and correctional professionals in the areas of sexual harassment, ethics, criminology, and ethical leadership. She was a member of the U.S. Office of Justice Programs Science Advisory Board, on the editorial boards of Women & Criminal Justice and Crime & Delinquency, and a Trustee-at-Large to the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. Pollock has published more than 25 books in the areas of ethics, female criminality, corrections, and law. She has received numerous awards, including the Outstanding Alumni Award of SUNY-Albany, the Bruce Smith Sr. Award from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS), and the ACJS Academy Fellow Award for distinguished teaching and scholarly achievement, and she was awarded the University Distinguished Professor Award at Texas State University in 2014. She continues to write and consult in the areas of ethical leadership and training in criminal justice.