Well, this is a scary time for sure. But as you asked, I am very excited about one thing in particular! I ran for captain of my D1 NCAA equestrian team back in March 2020. It was during an incredible time and under crazy circumstances, but I ran. When the…

Kessler defines what luck is and how it interferes with our idea of criminal responsibility. Much in life, people are lucky. Kessler asks why luck does not have the same relationship it does in our life as it does when it comes in prosecuting offenders. Kessler talks about how the…

What features must something have before we can permissibly criminalize it? Gideon’s article deals the question should mens rea still be a required element when the state goes to criminalize a defendant. The House and Senate’s versions of the mens rea provision included a default mens rea provision and a…

The discussion of two types of law opens with distinctions that must be made to understand this article. A distinction to make right of the bat is to differentiate permissibility and reason. You might have reason to need my car to get to work, so you steal my car. Even…

Ripstein is openly against Mill’s harm principle which he expounds upon in “On Liberty.” Ripstein’s clear and driven aim is to argue that individual sovereignty requires you to abandon the harm principle. Ripstein furthers his take on Mill by adding that the individual has the power, but he’s wrong to…

This week as we continue the discussion on what means can one hope to accomplish by criminalization, Feinberg addresses how offensive acts may also be criminalized. This is a contrast from last week’s reading where Mill said criminalization can only be used to prevent harm on others. By definition, Feinberg…

Mill discusses his ability to understand the relationship between society’s power on individual people in that society. He states that the topic is “civil or social liberty.” Liberty serves as a defense mechanism against powerful rulers. He gives two examples of these. The first is the notion of immunities that…

My name is Louisa Brackett and I am from Grayslake, IL. I am a senior criminal justice major. I am on the D1 Equestrian team and am a student-athlete here at USC. I have a cat named Pop! I have a snake named Bruce.