Slide 1 III. The Limits of Criminal Law A.Identify limits of criminal law. B.Analyze the causal effect between drugs and crime C.Recognize connections between guns and crime. BHS Law Related Education Program Criminal Justice Lesson 2: Criminal Law Lesson Objectives

Slide 2 III. The Limits of Criminal Law A. Is the act of passing laws a viable solution to the crime problem in the United States? 1)Deterrence-People refrain from committing crimes because of consequences. Is there a deterrent affect to death penalty laws? BHS Law Related Education Program Criminal Justice Lesson 2: Criminal Law

Slide 3 III. The Limits of Criminal Law B. Drugs and Crime The connection between drugs and crime is reflected in at least three types of crimes: 1.Drug-defined crimes, such as the possession, use, or sale of controlled substances, which violates drug laws. 2.Crimes committed by drug users to get money to buy more drugs or crimes committed by persons under the influence of drugs. 3.Organized criminal activities, such as money laundering and political corruption, in support of the drug trade. BHS Law Related Education Program Criminal Justice Lesson 2: Criminal Law

Slide 4 B. Drugs and Crime Crime is associated with drug use, but drugs usually don't cause crime. Only a small percentage of burglaries and robberies are drug related. Studies of high-rate offenders show that many of them began their criminal careers before using drugs. BHS Law Related Education Program Criminal Justice Lesson 2: Criminal Law III. The Limits of Criminal Law

Slide 5 B. Drugs and Crime Significant Drug Laws in History; 1)The first major drug law, the Harrison Act (1914), required persons dealing in opium, morphine, heroin, cocaine, and derivatives of these drugs to register with the federal government. 2)The Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act (1970) forms the basis of federal enforcement efforts today. 3)In 1988, the government stepped up the war on drugs passing the Anti-Drug Abuse Act, which substantially increased the penalties for recreational drug users. 4)The Crime Control Act (1990) and the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act (1994) helped fund the War on Drugs by providing money to state and local communities for drug enforcement and created drug-free school zones by increasing penalties for drug crimes occurring close to schools. BHS Law Related Education Program Criminal Justice Lesson 2: Criminal Law

Slide 6 D. Guns and Crime 1.Gun Ownership-Over 200 million firearms are in circulation, including 70 million handguns. The production of new firearms adds two million new handguns each year to the total. 2.During the past 20 years, the main type of gun made in the United States has shifted from manual revolvers to semiautomatic pistols. BHS Law Related Education Program Criminal Justice Lesson 2: Criminal Law

Slide 7 D. Guns and Crime 3.Gun-control laws-The federal government and most of the states have some gun-control laws. Federal and state laws prohibit alcoholics, drug addicts, mentally unbalanced people, or people with criminal records from owning guns. 4.Some cities require a person to buy a license to own a gun and register the serial number of the weapon with the police. 5.The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (1994), named for James Brady, who was shot and wounded in an attempt on President Reagan's life in 1981, provides for a five-day waiting period before the purchase of a handgun. 6.The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act (1994) bans the manufacture of 19 military assault weapons. BHS Law Related Education Program Criminal Justice Lesson 2: Criminal Law