Criminal Law: The One-State Solution, Second Edition

Unlike most criminal law texts that examine cases and statutes from across the country, this book concentrates on one particular jurisdiction, Ohio. While there are a few non-Ohio cases and laws sprinkled throughout, the focus is on Ohio case law and statutes. Ohio was selected as the jurisdiction of choice because it is one of the few states of size that has both significant urban and rural populations. Furthermore, Ohio, as most presidential candidates are aware, has historically reflected the overall view and mood of the country. This is because the population tends to split fairly evenly to both the right and the left. Thus, Ohio case law, especially opinions from the Ohio Supreme Court, doesn’t tend to skew too far in any one direction.

Although this book focuses on Ohio law and cases, it does not neglect either the Model Penal Code (MPC) or the common law as both are raised throughout the book where appropriate. In addition, the text regularly asks the reader to compare and contrast the MPC and common law with the laws of Ohio.