This book examines shared intuitive notions of justice among laypersons and compares the discovered principles to those instantiated in American criminal codes. It reports eighteen original studies on a wide range of issues that are central to criminal law formulation.

Preface -- Community Standards and the Criminal Law -- Doctrines of Criminalization: What Conduct Should Be Criminal? -- Doctrines of Justification: When Should It Be Lawful for One to Engage in Conduct That Normally Would Constitute a Violation? -- Doctrines of Culpability: When Is One’s Violation of a Legal Rule Blameworthy? -- Doctrines of Excuse: When Is One’s Rule Violation Blameless? -- Doctrines of Grading: What Degree of Punishment Is Deserved for One’s Blameworthy Violation? -- Conflict Between Community Views and Criminal Codes -- Research Methodology -- Text of Stimulus Instrument Scenarios -- Liability Score/Imprisonment Term Translation Table