Criminal Justice

For a defendant to be sentenced, several elements of the crime have to be demonstrated before a court of law. These include; actus reus, men's rea, and the coexistence of the two. In favor of the defendant, defenses can be used to alleviate punishments issued to them.According to Jackson's report in the global news (2022), a man aged twenty-six years has been apprehended for a carjacking offense in Toronto. An elderly woman had just pulled up her car at a designated parking lot; two men walked toward her as she opened her door. A gun was pointed at her as she was ordered to alight from the vehicle. One of the robbers kicked her leg as she beeped the vehicle's horn. However, the men managed to flee from the scene using an escape car close by. A search was conducted, leading to the arrest of one of the men. The clothing and weapons used for the robbery were also seized. Several charges have been pressed against the suspect. From this crime, the various elements can be identified. For instance, the pointing of a gun towards the victim is the actus reus, while the men’s rea was that they purposed to commit the crime. This is established by seizing ammunitions showing that the robbery was planned. The case can be changed into a grand theft auto as a defense for the defendant since it attracts less jail time. Moreover, in the absence of witnesses and visible injuries on the victim, consent of the car owner defense can be applied. Therefore, the availability of evidence plays a crucial part in determining the defenses to be employed.