Criminal Law Flashcards
Specific intent
Specific intent means that the D had a subjective intent to perform the unlawful act and accomplish the prohibited result.
What are the specific intent crimes
(FIAT)
First-degree murder
Inchoate crimes
Assault (and attempted battery)
Theft
General intent
General intent means that the D only intended to perform the unlawful act.
Accomplice liability
An accomplice may be held liable if they acted with the requisite mens rea to aid the principal before or during the commission of a crime. The accomplice is liable for the planned and other foreseeable crimes, regardless of the principal’s conviction.
Defense to accomplice liability
An accomplice may defend against liability if they withdrew, meaning they repudiated their aid or counteracted their prior aid before the events were unstoppable.
Accessory after the fact
An accessory after the fact may be held liable for obstruction of justice if they acted with the intent to assist the principal in avoiding apprehension after completion of the crime.
Attempt Elements
An attempt requires 1) specific intent to commit a crime, 2) performed an overt act in furtherance, but 3) failure to complete the crime.
Attempt - Dangerous proximity test
Under the CL dangerous-proximity test, an overt act occurs when D comes so close to completing the offense that it is essentially unstoppable.
Attempt - Substantial step test
Under the majority substantial-step test, D’s conduct qualifies as an overt act when it exceeds mere preparation and corroborates D’s specific intent.
Legal impossibility defense to attempt
Legal impossibility can be a defense to attempt if the intended act would not be criminal even if it were completed.
Abandonment defense to attempt
Abandonment is only a defense if the actus reus has not been completed (i.e., there has been no substantial step).
Solicitation
Solicitation means to invite or urge another to commit a crime with the intent that the party do so.
Renunciation defense to solicitation
Voluntary renunciation may be a defense if D thwarts the commission of the solicited crime.
CL Conspiracy elements
A CL conspiracy requires 1) an agreement between 2 or more persons (bilateral), and 2) intent to commit a crime.
MPC Conspiracy elements
An MPC conspiracy requires 1) at least one person agrees (unilateral), 2) to commit a crime, and 3) overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy.
Withdrawal defense to MPC conspiracy
Withdrawal can be a complete defense if an overt act has not yet occurred and D gave notice to co-conspirators or timely notified the police.
Pinkerton Rule
Under the Pinkerton rule, a conspirator is liable for the conspiracy and for the co-conspirators’ substantive crimes committed in furtherance of the conspiracy.
Merger doctrine
Under the merger doctrine, an attempt or solicitation will merge into the target crimes if it is completed. The merger doctrine also merges lesser included offenses (offenses that are necessarily required for completion of a more serious crime) into the more serious crime so that D can only be convicted of the more serious crime.
Homicide
Homicide is the killing of a living human being by another and includes murder & manslaughter.
CL Murder
Under the CL, murder is the unlawful killing of another person w/ malice aforethought.
Malice aforethought
Intent to kill
Intent to inflict serious bodily injury
Depraved heart murder
Intent to commit a felony
Felony Murder Rule (FMR)
The unintended and foreseeable killing during the commission of an inherently dangerous felony triggers the FMR.
Inherently dangerous felonies that fall under the FMR
(BARRK)
Burglary
Arson
Robbery
Rape
Kidnapping
Defenses to FMR
Can’t prove D committed or attempted to commit the underlying felony
Death not foreseeable
Bystander deaths - agency theory
Under the agency theory (majority), D is not liable for a bystander’s death caused by a felony victim or police officer.
Bystander deaths - proximate cause theory
Under the proximate cause theory (minority), D is liable for such deaths under the FMR.
Liability for co-felon’s death
D is not liable for a co-felon’s death by a victim or a police officer.
First degree murder
First degree murder is usually deliberate and premeditated
Second degree murder
Second degree murder is usually common law murder.
Voluntary manslaughter
Voluntary manslaughter is a homicide committed with malice aforethought but with mitigating circumstances such as heat of passion.
Involuntary manslaughter
Involuntary manslaughter is the unintentional killing by criminal negligence or recklessness under the MPC, or during an unlawful act.
Crime - Battery
Unlawful application of force to another that causes harmful/offensive contact.