202: Listen and Learn -- Defenses to a Crime

Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! Today, we're looking at a few specific defenses in Criminal Law, which if used successfully, may exonerate a defendant or reduce their punishment. In this episode, we discuss: Factual and affirmative defenses Perfect and imperfect affirmative defenses Defense of duress Defenses having to do with the defendant's mental state Self-defense and defense of others Analyzing two essay questions from previous California bar exams Resources: “Listen and Learn” series (https://barexamtoolbox.com/bar-exam-toolbox-podcast-archive-by-topic/bar-exam-toolbox-podcast-explaining-individual-mee-and-california-bar-essay-questions/#listen-learn) California Bar Examination – Essay Questions and Selected Answers, February 2007 (https://juraxbar.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/February-2007-CBX.pdf) California Bar Examination – Essay Questions and Selected Answers, October 2020 (https://www.calbar.ca.gov/Portals/0/documents/admissions/Examinations/October-2020-Essay-Selected-Answers.pdf) Podcast Episode 70: Tackling a California Bar Exam Essay: Criminal Law and Procedure (https://barexamtoolbox.com/podcast-episode-70-tackling-a-california-bar-exam-essay-criminal-law-and-procedure/) Podcast Episode 79: Tackling an MEE Criminal Law/Procedure and Evidence Essay (https://barexamtoolbox.com/podcast-episode-79-tackling-an-mee-criminal-law-procedure-and-evidence-essay/) Podcast Episode 185: Listen and Learn – Prosecution of a Criminal Trial (Burdens, Presumptions, Sufficiency) (https://barexamtoolbox.com/podcast-episode-185-listen-and-learn-prosecution-of-a-criminal-trial-burdens-presumptions-sufficiency/) Download the Transcript (https://barexamtoolbox.com/episode-202-listen-and-learn-defenses-to-a-crime/) If you enjoy the podcast, we'd love a nice review and/or rating on Apple Podcasts (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/bar-exam-toolbox-podcast-pass-bar-exam-less-stress/id1370651486) or your favorite listening app. And feel free to reach out to us directly. You can always reach us via the contact form on the Bar Exam Toolbox website (https://barexamtoolbox.com/contact-us/). Finally, if you don't want to miss anything, you can sign up for podcast updates (https://barexamtoolbox.com/get-bar-exam-toolbox-podcast-updates/)! Thanks for listening! Alison & Lee