Crim Law/Pro Flashcards
Specific intent
occurs when D intends the act and also intends the resulting harm
Specific intent crimes
Burglary, robbery, assault, murder, attempt, conspiracy, theft crimes, solicitation
Malice
is established when D has a reckless disregard of a high risk of harm to human life
General Intent
occurs when D intends the act but not necessarily the resulting harm
General intent crimes
battery, rape, false imprisonment, kidnapping, involuntary manslaughter, and depraved heart
Strict Liability Crimes
Statutory rape, selling liquor to minors, bigamy, statutes
Model Penal Code
Purposely: Consciously engaging in certain conduct will cause a certain result
Knowingly: Knowing that engaging in certain conduct will very likely cause a particular result
Recklessly: Consciously disregarding a substantial and unjustifiable risk of harm to others
Criminal negligence: failure to be aware of a substantial and unjustifiable risk
Transferred Intent
exists if D intends a harmful result to a particular person, and, in trying to carry out that intent, causes a similar harmful result to another person, her intent will be transferred from the intended person to the one actually harmed.
**Does not apply to attempt crimes
Concurrence
AR must occur at the same time D has the requisite mens rea
Causation
Ds acts must have been the actual (but for) and proximate (foreseeable) cause of the harm
Battery
(1) an unlawful application of force
(2) to the person of another
(3) results in either bodily injury OR an offensive touching
Assault
3 theories - attempted battery, assault, aggravated assault
Assault
(1) D intentionally
(2) Places victim in reasonable apprehension
(3) of an imminent bodily harm
(4) with the victim’s person
Aggravated assault
(1) elements of assault; plus
(2) used deadly weapon
(3) with the intent to maim, rape, or murder
Rape
(1) Sexual intercourse
(2) by a man
(3) with a woman not his wife
(4) without her consent
False Imprisonment
(1) the unlawful confinement
(2) of a person
(3) without his valid consent
*note: merges with kidnapping
Kidnapping
(1) confinement
(2) of the victim
(3) by moving or concealing the victim
Homicide intro
At common law, the term homicide is used to describe three different types of unlawful killings: murder, voluntary manslaughter, and involuntary manslaughter
Common law murder
murder is the unlawful killing of a human being with malice aforethought. Malice aforethought exists when there is either: (1) an intent to kill, (2) an intent to inflict serious bodily harm, (3) reckless indifference to unjustifiably high risk to human life, (4) an intent to commit an inherently dangerous felony that results in a killing (felony murder).
First-degree murder
occurs when D perpetrates a killing (1) with premeditation and deliberation or (2) a murder committed during the commission of an enumerated felony which are BARRK (burglary, arson, rape, robbery, kidnapping)
Premeditation and deliberation
A premeditated and deliberate killing occurs when D takes the time to reflect on the idea of killing and makes the decision to kill while in a cool, dispassionate state of mind; premeditation can occur in seconds
Second-degree murder
is (1) all other killings that do not qualify as first-degree murder, usually common law murders and (2) murder during the commission of a non-enumerated felony.
*NOTE: Intent to inflict great bodily harm murder or depraved heart murder are, at most, second degree murder.
Felony Murder
Any death caused during the commission of, or in the attempt to commit, an inherently dangerous felony, is felony murder
To convict D of felony murder:
(1) D must be guilty of the underlying inherently dangerous felony
- Inherently dangerous felonies: BARRK
- Minority Rule: Includes non-dangerous felonies committed in a dangerous manner.
- TIP: analyze first whether D is guilty of underlying felony
(2) The felony must be distinct from the killing itself (independent felonious intent)
(3) The death must have been the foreseeable result of the felony, and
(4) The death must have occurred during the perpetration of the felony and not after D reached a place of safety.
Exceptions to liability for felony murder
(1) Redline Rule: Felons are not liable for the deaths of co-felons that occur during the commission of the crime if the death was caused by the victim or the police attempting to prevent escape of further criminal activity.
(2) Agency Theory: D is not liable for felony murder when an innocent party is killed unless the death is caused by D or co-felon.
(3) Proximate Cause Theory: D will be liable if an innocent party is killed by the victim or the police.
Voluntary Manslaughter
Is an intentional killing that is mitigated from murder because there is adequate provocation or heat of passion
Adequate Provocation:
(1) sudden and intense passion: There is a provocation that would arouse sudden and intense passion in the mind of a reasonable person.
(2) Provocation: D was in fact provoked
(3) Cooling off period: There was no cooling off period between the provocation and the killing (cooling off can occur in mere seconds), and
(4) No cooling off: D did not in fact cool off
At common law, adequate provocation could be established by showing the victim had committed a serious battery against D
Involuntary manslaughter
is a killing committed with criminal negligence or during the commission of an unlawful act
Criminal negligence: is found when D’s conduct is a gross deviation from the standard of care of a reasonable person.
Misdemeanor-manslaughter: is a killing that occurs as a result of or during a misdemeanor or felony that is not sufficient for felony murder.
Larceny
(1) unlawful taking
(2) and carrying away
(3) of tangible personal property from possession of another
(4) with the intent to permanently deprive the victim of possession
*NOTE: Mens rea must exist at the time of actus reus
*Exception: Continuous trespass: if initial taking is wrongful and D later forms intent to steal, taking will continue in time until D later formed the intent to steal
Larceny by Trick
(1) unlawful taking
(2) and carrying away
(3) of tangible personal property from possession of another
(4) with the intent to permanently deprive the victim of possession
(5) with the victim’s consent obtained by misrepresentation
Embezzlement
(1) the fraudulent
(2) conversion
(3) of another’s personal property
(4) by one in lawful possession of that property
False Pretenses
(1) obtaining title
(2) to personal property of another
(3) by the intentional false statement
(4) of a past or existing fact
(5) with the intent to defraud
Receiving Stolen Property
(1) receiving possession and control
(2) of stolen personal property
(3) known to have been obtained in a manner constituting a criminal offense
(4) by another person
(5) with the intent to permanently deprive owner of his interest
Robbery
*tip it’s larceny + force
(1) the unlawful taking
(2) and carrying away
(3) of tangible personal property from possession of another
(4) with the intent to permanently deprive the victim of possession
(5) by force or threat of force
*NOTE: threats of future bodily harm or later non-bodily harm are not sufficient for robeber
Extortion
(1) obtaining property
(2) by means of threats to do harm or expose information
Burglary
(1) the breaking and entering
**Modernly: just entering is sufficient
(2) At night
**Common law: entry had to occur at night
**Modernly: most states have eliminated nighttime requirement
(3) into the dwelling house of another
**Common law: the structure had to be the dwelling house of another
**Modernly: Most states protect all structures (residential, industrial, commercial, etc.)
(4) With the intent to commit a felony therein
**Note: the intent to commit a felony must exist at the time the entry occurs; a later-formed intent to steal (after entry) does not qualify
**TIP: must also analyze the felony committed therein (ie larceny, rape, kidnapping, battery, etc.)
Arson
(1) the burning or charring
(2) of a dwelling house of another
**common law: the structure had to be the dwelling house of another
**modernly: most states protect all structures
(3) with malice (intent to burn or acted with extreme or wanton disregard)
Forgery
(1) the making or altering
(2) of a writing with apparent legal significance
(3) so that it represents something that it is not
(4) with the intent to defraud
Uttering a forged instrument
(1) offering as genuine
(2) an instrument that may be the subject of forgery and is false
(3) with the intent to defraud
Accomplice liability
Principal
(1) one who, with the intent to commit the crime
(2) directly commits or causes the crime to occur through an agent
(3) the principal is liable for the crimes he committed, solicited, conspired to commit, and those that the accomplice assisted, counseled, or encouraged
Accomplice
(1) one who, with the intent to commit the crime
(2) aids, counsels or encourages the principal
(3) silent approval or mere presence is not sufficient
(4) also liable for other foreseeable crimes committed by the principal.
Accessory before the fact
(1) one who provides assistance
(2) before the crime is committed
(3) but is not actually present during the crime
**Note: accessory before the fact will still be convicted of the main crime
Accessory after the fact
(1) one who provides assistance
(2) after the crime has been committed
(3) to help the principal escape or avoid arrest
**Majority rule: An accessory after the fact is not liable for crimes committed by the principal, but is liable for obstruction of justice
Attempt
(1) one who commits a substantial step toward an act
(2) with an intent to commit a crime
(3) that falls short of completing the crime, is guilty of attempt
**Specific Intent: D must have the specific intent to commit the target crime
**Substantial Step: Mere preparation is not enough, D must come dangerously close to completing the intended crime
Solicitation
(1) D incites, counsels, advises or requests another
(2) To commit a crime
(3) With the intent that the crime be committed
*Note: Solicitation merges with conspiracy once agreement is made
Merger
Solicitation and Attempt merge into the actual crime, so D may be tried for both but not punished for both
Conspiracy
(1) an agreement between 2 or more persons
(2) with an intent to enter into the agreement with an unlawful objective
**Majority Rule: requires all conspirators actually agree to commit to unlawful objective
**Minority Rule: known as unilateral theory - requires only one guilty mind for a conspiracy if he believed the other party was actually agreeing to commit the unlawful purpose.
**Wharton’s Rule
(3) Where D commits an overt act in furtherance of the objective
**Pinkerton: D is liable for the target offense and other crimes committed by co-conspirators in furtherance of the conspiracy that were foreseeable
**Note: Target crime does not merge with conspiracy so D can be convicted of both
Self Defense
An individual who is without fault may use such force as reasonably appears necessary to protect herself from the imminent use of unlawful force upon herself
Deadly Force
May be used only if:
(1) D is without fault
(2) Threatened with imminent death or great bodily harm
**Majority: No duty to retreat before deadly force is used.
**Minority: D must retreat before using deadly force if he can safely retreat or there is a reasonable means of escape available
**Exception: D need not retreat if: (i) he is in his home, or (ii) he is making a lawful arrest