JOOUST Trial Courts May Instruct Juries on Lesser Included Offenses Discussion

Prior to beginning work on this discussion, read Trial Courts May Instruct Juries on Lesser Included Offenses, The Concept of Double Jeopardy: Background and Triple Murder Suspect Goes from Guilty to Innocent and Back to Guilty. Additionally, watch Case No. 2012-1611: Douglas J. Wine v. State of Ohio.

One area of the law essential to understand is the concept of lesser included offenses. Your initial post must be at least 300 words in length. In this discussion, address the following prompts:

• Define the criminal justice legal term of lesser included offense.
• Assess how courts determine whether a crime is a lesser included offense.
• Explain whether someone can be convicted for multiple crimes for one act.
• Evaluate how lesser included offenses do not violate the double jeopardy clause of the fifth amendment.
• Examine the material elements of crimes and how they can vary to allow for multiple prosecutions for the same acts or similar offenses. Provide specific examples to support your answer.