Criminal Law Exam Outlines: Includes answered examination-level MBE questions

Excerpt: You will not be expected to know statutes on exam day because in real life lawyers have their statute books in their hand and read from it in court. And this is desired by judges! To capture this lesson: learn not only the terrible act that the law calls a crime, but also the state of mind or mens rea that D must have at the time of that terrible act. For the most part if the necessary state of mind forms only after the act has seized to pose a threat to anyone or their property, the elements of the crime are not complete. For example, D picks up a flower pot to examine it. After he does examine it, he realizes that it is very valuable. The owner of the flower pot suddenly comes on the scene at this point and accuses D of trying to steal the flower pot. At this point the Owner is wrong.