A concise treatment of the basic principles of criminal law, the elements of specific Arkansas offenses, evidence law, and the laws of procedure that Arkansas law enforcement officers and other criminal justice professionals need to know.

The Arkansas Criminal Law Manual is a paperback book that contains the most current information available to criminal justice professionals, students, and citizens including the changes made during the 2005 Regular Session of the Arkansas General Assembly. This manual contains the complete texts of the Arkansas Criminal Code (Title 5), the Arkansas Juvenile Code (Title 9), and the Arkansas Rules of Criminal Procedure, Evidence, and Appellant Procedure as well as selected laws governing Alcoholic Beverages (Title 3), Education (Title 6), Domestic Abuse (Title 9), Crime Reporting (Title 12), and Arrest, Search and Seizure (Title 16).

Scores of talented and dedicated people serve the forensic science community, performing vitally important work. However, they are often constrained by lack of adequate resources, sound policies, and national support. It is clear that change and advancements, both systematic and scientific, are needed in a number of forensic science disciplines to ensure the reliability of work, establish enforceable standards, and promote best practices with consistent application. Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward provides a detailed plan for addressing these needs and suggests the creation of a new government entity, the National Institute of Forensic Science, to establish and enforce standards within the forensic science community. The benefits of improving and regulating the forensic science disciplines are clear: assisting law enforcement officials, enhancing homeland security, and reducing the risk of wrongful conviction and exoneration. Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States gives a full account of what is needed to advance the forensic science disciplines, including upgrading of systems and organizational structures, better training, widespread adoption of uniform and enforceable best practices, and mandatory certification and accreditation programs. While this book provides an essential call-to-action for congress and policy makers, it also serves as a vital tool for law enforcement agencies, criminal prosecutors and attorneys, and forensic science educators.