1) Elements of Crimes Flashcards

1
Q

general elements

A

1) actus reus (guilty hand)
2) mens rea (guilty mind)
3) bad result
4) no justification or excuse

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2
Q

bad result: exception

A

conduct crimes (ex. reckless driving) dn require result

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3
Q

MR: exception

A

dnn for strict liability crimes

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4
Q

BOP

A

beyond a reasonable doubt, on all 4 elements

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5
Q

actus reus: def

A

the act that produces the criminally prohibited reuslt

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6
Q

actus reus: ways

A

1) voluntary act

2) omission

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7
Q

voluntary act: def

A

physical act + volition

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8
Q

voluntary act? reflexes, sleepwalking

A

no

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9
Q

voluntary act? habitual conditioned reaction

A

YES

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10
Q

voluntary act? duress

A

YES (but duress might be a defense)

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11
Q

voluntary act? seizure

A

no

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12
Q

voluntary act? hypnosis

A

no

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13
Q

omission liability: elements

A

1) omission to act
2) D is under legal duty to act
(3) D was physically capable of doing something)

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14
Q

legal duty to act: kinds

A

1) statutory (police)
2) by contract
3) status rship (parent, spouse)
4) voluntary undertaking to rescue that is abandoned
5) failing to help after creating the risk of peril

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15
Q

mens rea: def

A

culpable state of mind that actuated (set in mxn) the criminal act

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16
Q

mens rea: which?

A

usu defined by statute

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17
Q

MR: kinds

A

1) purposeful
2) knowledge
3) reckless
4) crim negligence

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18
Q

MR: purposeful: def

A

D acts w conscious objective to bring about prohibited result

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19
Q

MR: knowledge: def

A

D engages in conduct he KNOWS W ALMOST ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY will produce prohibited result

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20
Q

MR: recklessness:

A

D knew the risk but didn’t care (aware that conduct creates unjustifiable risk to others, but ignores the risk)

unlike knowledge, dnh substantial certainty the harm will occur

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21
Q

MR: crim negligence:

A

creates unjustifiable risk
w/o subjective awareness he is doing so
but where a RP would have been aware of the risk

requries gross deviation from standard of care (more than civil)

unlike recklessness, D not subjectively aware he was creating the risk (he didn’t realize but should’ve)

22
Q

culpable negligence

A

= crim negligence

23
Q

intent: def

A

usu purposeful or knowledge

24
Q

willful: synonym

A

usu synonym for intent

25
willful: def
acting w purpose or knowledge + moral turpitude
26
intent: inchoate offenses
usu = purpose only
27
incohate offenses: exs
solicitation attempt conspiracy
28
intent: kinds
1) specific intent | 2) general intent
29
specific intent: def
proof that D intended to produce specifically prohibited harm (normally purpose or knowledge)
30
specific intent: triggered by
"with intent to" in the crime name -- for that part (ex. assault w intent to kill: assault = GI, "w intent to kill" = SI)
31
general intent: def
only a desire to do the prohibited act (usu recklessness, crim neg ok)
32
specific intent: how to cancel out
1) honest but unreasonable mistake of fact | 2) voluntary intoxication
33
general intent: how to cancel out
honest and reasonable mistake of fact
34
malice: def
the mens rea for murder at CL. (unlawful killing + malice = murder -- DNN knowing/purposeful/etc)
35
malice: kinds
1) express | 2) implied
36
express malice: ways to prove
D intended to kill another person. Prove by: 1) purpose (to kill) OR 2) knowledge (would kill) OR 3) D acts w intent to inflict grevious bodily harm (even if dn intend kill!)
37
implied malice: def + ways to prove
D caused a death as a result of extreme recklessness or criminally negligent conduct that manifested a wanton disregard for value of human life (DHM) 1) even if unintentional 2) felony murder: automatic
38
strict liability crimes: MR
none required! just act + result = guilt
39
strict liability crimes: result
mistake of fact is never a defense
40
transferred intent: def
if D intends to produce crim result against one V, but inadvertently harms another V, the intent to harm the first V transfers to the unintended V
41
concurrence: def
prosecution must prove that the act that caused the criminal result was actuated (set in mxn) by the requisite crim SOM (dnn to be at exactly same time) but ex: entry w intent to steal but no intent to steal, doesn't count
42
causation: rule
D's act must have ACTUALLY AND PROXIMATELY caused the harm suffered
43
actual cause, aka
cause in fact
44
actual cause: ways to prove
1) but-for 2) substantial factor 3) acceleration
45
but-for: def
D's act is the actual cause, if criminal act would not have occurred but-for D's conduct
46
substantial factor: def
where there are multiple causes or parties responsible for the same crim result, courts will still fin a D responsible if D's act was a SUBSTANTIAL FACTOR in causing the result
47
acceleration: def
D's conduct speeds up an inevitable death, even slightly -- still an actual cause
48
proximate cause: def
harm produced was w/in the objectively foreseeable range of consequences of D's conduct unforeseeable interveneing event --> supercedes --> no PC
49
PC: special rules: type of intervening conduct
gross neg or reckless conduct that accelerates death set in mxn by D normally = unforeseeable negligence = foreseeable
50
PC: special rules: unknown special sensitivities
ARE foreseeable -- even if D couldn't have subjectively foreseen V's unique condition
51
tests for foreseeability:
1) was intervening cause DEPENDENT or RESPONSIVE to D's initial cause? - -> if yes, does not supercede (unless totally abnormal response) OR 2) was intervening cause INDEPENDENT or MERE COINCIDENCE? (this will not supercede -- unless it was foreseeable)
52
BOP: D
when D has to prove something (which means it's not an element--P must prove all those) -- preponderance