Research Paper on:
Cannon Murder Case Scenario

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
She finds him inside the cannon, imitating her act, and she decides that this is the moment to punish him. She tells Nancy, the trapeze artiste, that she is  going to shout "Fire" and that Nancy must light the touch-paper when she does so. Nancy is drunk, but she begs Jennifer to reconsider. Jennifer refuses, and tells  Nancy that if she does not do as she is told, she should start worrying about the safety of her trapeze. At the signal from Jennifer, Nancy fires the cannon  and Carl is hurled into the air. Unbeknownst to Nancy, Jennifer has loosened the ropes which support the safety net. It cannot support Carls weight and he crashes  through it, into the lion cage below, where he is mauled by Elsie the lion. Carl is taken to hospital at once but declines treatment, saying that his reputation  as the worlds strongest man will be gone forever. He dies. The student has been given the above scenario and told to "discuss" in terms of criminal law.  The first question that comes to mind is: Is this a case of murder? To answer this, the student must know the basic definition and elements of a  murder. Criminal homicide is generally differentiated from manslaughter by the elements of malice and, or, forethought. This brings into the paradigm the idea of pre-meditation and intent.  The prosecutor will not need to prove these elements, merely indicate that they existed through the acts of the participants. The level of intent is associated with the  degree distinguished by the law. That is, first degree murder is based on the intent to kill with premeditation. In some states, the act must contain aggravated circumstances