This three or four credit course will examine in depth some substantial criminal law doctrine only touched upon in the first year course including: rape conspiracy, capital crimes, and changes in affirmative defenses with special emphasis on excuses. The four credit version of the course will also carefully examine how our legal system has recently responded to escalating public pressure demanding greater protection from "dangerous" individuals and harmful criminal acts. Subjects include changes in the: juvenile system (e.g., waiver into adult system, lowering age for adult criminal responsibility, the use of injunctions and curfews), "adult" criminal sentencing regimes (e.g., alternatives to incarceration such as "expressive" shaming penalties; victim participation in sentencing, "three strikes"), and civil commitment proceedings (indefinite commitment of sexual predators and criminal psychopaths).