Criminal Law Flashcards
Who is the principal
The person who actually commits the actus reus of the crime
Who is an accomplice
An accomplice is a person who assists or encourages the principal with the intent that the crime is committed. Tip: mere presence at the scene is not enough.
o Must intend to help the principal commit the crime and intend that the principal commit the crime that is charged
Note 1: Mere knowledge that another person intends to commit a crime is not enough to make a person an accomplice. The accomplice must act with the
intent that the principal commit the crime that is charged.
Accomplice Liability
an accomplice is liable for all crimes committed that he aids or encourages and all “natural and probable results” of the crime that he intends to assist.
he accomplice lends his truck to the principal to commit a
burglary. During the burglary, the principal commits a battery against a security guard. The accomplice may be liable for the burglary and also the battery if it is a natural and probably consequence
accessory after the fact
an accessory after the fact is a person who
knowingly assists a person who has committed
a felony with intent to help him avoid arrest,
trial, or conviction
How can an accomplice withdraw? (3 elements)
To legally withdraw (and avoid liability for the substantive crime), the accomplice must:
- Repudiate prior aid;
- Do all that is possible to countermand prior assistance; and
- Do so before the chain of events is in motion and unstoppable
The insanity tests
M’Naghten Rule
Irresistible Impulse Test
Durham Rule
Model Penal Code Test
M’Naghten Rule
One of the Insanity Tests
The defendant is not guilty if, because of a mental disease or defect, the defendant did not know either
(i) the nature and quality of the act, or
(ii) the wrongfulness of the ac
Irresistible Impulse Test
One of the insanity tests
The defendant is not guilty if a mental disease or defect prevented him from being able to conform his conduct to the law.
Durham Rule
One of the insanity Tests
The defendant is not guilty if the crime would not have been committed but for the mental disease or defect.
Model Penal Code Test for Insanity
The defendant is not guilty if a mental disease or defect either prevents the defendant from knowing the wrongfulness of the conduct or prevents the defendant from being able to conform his conduct to the law.
What does a Voluntary intoxication defense do?
a. Voluntary Intoxication
Involves the voluntary ingestion of an intoxicating substance
It is a defense to specific intent crimes if the intoxication prevents the formation of the required intent.
Voluntary intoxication is not a defense to crimes involving malice, recklessness, or negligence, or for strict-liability crimes
Involuntary Intoxication Defense
b. Involuntary Intoxication
Unknowingly or forced to ingest an intoxicating substance
It is a defense to both general and specific intent crimes, as well as malice crimes when the intoxication serves to negate an element of the crime
Causation in homicides
basically torts version, Actual but for cause, if multiple causes needs to be substantial factor,
need proximate cause, and intervening causes and superseding causes can break that chain.
Common law murder (basic definition)
At common law, murder is the unlawful killing of a human being committed with malice aforethought
How to show “malice aforethought”
“Malice aforethought” includes the following mental states:
o Intent to kill
o Intent to inflict serious bodily injury
o Reckless indifference to an unjustifiably high risk to human life (depraved heart)
o Intent to commit certain felonies (felony murder
if common law murder is tested, you should always discuss the intent to kill, intent to inflict serious bodily injury, and reckless indifference theories. Felony murder should only be discussed in certain situations (see
notes below)
Felony Murder Rule and BARKK
Under the FMR, a defendant can be found guilty for the unintended but foreseeable killing that is proximately caused by or during the commission or attempted commission of an inherently dangerous felony.
o Traditionally, burglary, arson, robbery, rape and kidnapping are considered to be inherently
dangerous felonies.
BARKK
To earn full credit, you must state the underlying felony that
occurred and analyze the elements of the felony. Then analyze the felony murder rule
Defenses to Felony Murder Rule
b. Death of a bystander (Majority Rule)
If the death was unforeseeable the FMR will not apply
Point of Safety: If the felony is complete and the defendant has reached a place of safety, the FMR will not apply.
.
Death of a Bystander while committing a felony
b. Death of a bystander, (MAJORITY)
A defendant will not be liable for the death of a bystander caused by a police officer or as a result of resistance by the victim of the felony because neither person is the felon’s agent.
Death of a co-felon, is the defendant liable?
A defendant will not be liable for the death of a co-felon if a victim or police officer kills the co-felon
1st degree murder elements with explanations
An intentional killing with premeditation and deliberation (e.g., poisoning someone)
Exam Tip 5: Remember to use common law murder unless the prompt tells you that the jurisdiction uses first and second-degree murder.
a. Premeditated
A murder is premeditated if the defendant had enough time to plan and reflect on the idea of the killing. The amount of time needed for premeditation may be brief, a mere second of reflection is sufficient.
b. Deliberate
The defendant made the decision to kill in a cool and dispassionate manner
second degree murder
Exam Tip 6: Second-degree murder is the statutory version of common law murder.
o Second-degree murder is a homicide committed with the necessary malicious intent:
The intent to kill;
The intent to do great bodily injury; or
Depraved-heart murder
(with malice aforethought)
(1) Extreme recklessness (e.g., D shoots his gun in a crowded room without intent to kill).
(2) Intentional infliction of great bodily harm and death results (e.g., D cuts someone’s legs off without
intent to kill him but he dies).
(3) Catchall: D is not guilty of first-degree murder but acts with malice; D can intend to kill (e.g., D shoots and kills someone because he is enraged after being insulted by them).
Tip: oftentimes this third category of second-degree murder looks like voluntary manslaughter but D is not adequately provoked.
Voluntary Manslaughter, elements and explanations
First degree murder can be mitigated down to voluntary manslaughter.
o Voluntary manslaughter is murder committed in response to adequate provocation.
a. Provocation
Objective Element: A reasonable person would have been provoked by the victim’s actions.
• Words are generally not enough provocation
• Sufficient provocation—discovery of adultery, a serious battery
Subjective Element: The defendant must also have actually been provoked.
b. Time to Cool Off
Objective: There must not have been sufficient time for an ordinary (reasonable) person to cool off.
Subjective: The defendant also must not have actually cooled off.
Tip: mere words do not count as adequate provocation under the majority view.
Involuntary Manslaughter elements and explanation
Involuntary manslaughter is an unintentional homicide committed with criminal negligence or during an unlawful act.
a. Criminal Negligence
Grossly negligent action (or inaction when there is a duty to act) that puts another person at a significant risk of serious bodily injury or death
Model Penal Code: In addition to grossly negligent action, the defendant must also have been actually aware of the risk his conduct posed.
b. Unlawful Act
The defendant commits an unlawful act that does not rise to felony murder and a death
occurs as a result
Misdemeanor Manslaughter
A killing during a misdemeanor or felony that does not qualify for felony murder (misdemeanor manslaughter rule)