Reference no: EM133301642

Questions

1. Phil is walking on the street one day and sees a house with an open front door. He hears "help me!" several times coming from inside the house. Phil rushes inside the house and sees a parrot repeating the "help me!" phrase. Laughing to himself, Phil turns to leave and sees a wad of cash. He takes the cash and leaves through the front door.

Has Phil committed a burglary? Why or why not? Explain your answer with legal reasoning.

2. Several high school students cut through Alex's backyard while walking to school. This will save the student's 20 minutes of walking. Alex has posted signs and personally spoken with the students and parents about not walking through his property, but they still continue to walk through. Can these students be charged with trespassing? Why or why not?

3. Amy enters Nordstrom's just as the store is about to close, and quickly hides in a clothing rack. The store closes like normal and Amy is not seen. Amy then proceeds to steal clothing and other items from Nordstrom's. Prosecutors want to charge Amy with burglary. Amy argues that since she entered the store lawfully, she cannot be charged with burglary. Who is correct? Why or why not? Explain your answer using legal reasoning.

4. Lucas is burning a pile of leaves in his own backyard, but the fire gets quickly out of control. The fire spreads to Lucas' neighbor's house and burns it down. Is Lucas guilty of arson? Why or why not? Explain your answer using legal reasoning.

5. While on a walk one day, Kelly loses her watch. The watch has an inscription on the back that reads "Kelly Smith 909-555-5555". Allison finds the watch and wears it around town. When confronted by Kelly, Allison claims "finder keepers".

Is Allison guilty of larceny? Why or why not? Explain your argument with legal reasoning.

6. Barry has a signed baseball bat worth $2000. Tyler has always coveted this bat, and one day, takes Barry's baseball bat and leaves an envelope with $2000 cash.

Has Tyler committed larceny? Why or why not? Explain your argument with legal reasoning.

7. Sally has had her bike stolen. A week later, she sees her own bike for sale on Craigslist. She arranges a meeting with the thief pretending to be an interested buyer, and asks to take the bike for a quick ride. The thief agrees, and Sally rides off with the bike back to her home.

Has Sally received stolen property? Can Sally be charged with a crime? Why or why not? Explain your answer with legal reasoning.

8. James is a high ranking government official who has an affair with John's wife, Maria. John approaches James and asks for money in exchange for John's silence regarding the affair. Not wanting to put his political career at risk, James pays John the money.

What crime did John commit? Would this be a crime if James refused payment? Explain your answer with legal reasoning.

9. In Las Vegas, it is legal to have an open container on the street. Nathan is walking down Las Vegas Blvd., clearly and visibly intoxicated. He claims that because he is allowed to drink alcohol in public, he should also be allowed to be drunk in public.

Did Nathan commit a crime? Does it matter if one can drink alcohol in a public setting? Explain your answer with legal reasoning.

10. Compare and contrast rioting and unlawful assembly. Define each term using legal reasoning.

11.. Compare and contrast pornography and obscenity is regards to the law. Are these terms the same? Define each and explain your answer using legal reasoning.

12. Explain how group criminality differs from complicity and vicarious liability.