Criminal Law Flashcards
Elements of a crime: Prosecution must prove all elements of a crime beyond a reasonable doubt (4)
- Physical act (actus reus)
- mental state (Mens rea)
- causation (both actual and proximate cause)
- concurrence (mental state and physical act occurred at the same time)
Physical act of the D must be ______
voluntary
Omission is generally not criminal unless (3)`
- D had legal duty to act
- D had knowledge of facts concerning the duty to act; and
- it was reasonably possible for D to act
What 5 situations create a duty to act
contractual, parent-child, duty taken on voluntarily, statute creates a duty, or when D creates the danger
Causation requires both
actual causation and proximate cause
Actual causation
present when the result/injury would not have occurred but for D’s conducrt
Proximate cause
injury myst be foreseeable from D’s act (it was a natural probable consequence
Superseding intervening cause: a third-party’s act will break the chain of causation if the act was
independent and not foreseeable
Specific intent
intent or desire to engage in the conduct or cause a certain result
general intent
awareness of acting in a certain way
malice
reckless disregard of a known risk that harm may occur
strict liability
no mental state required; only the act is required
Purposefully
conscious object to engage in conduct or cause a certain result
Knowingly
aware that conduct is of a particular nature or will cause a certain result
recklessly
consciously disregards a substantial and unjustifiable risk and act is a gross deviation from how a reasonable person would act OR when a person creates such a risk but is unaware of it solely by reason of a voluntary intoxication
criminal negligence
should have been aware of a substantial and unjusitfiable risk and that failure is a gross deviation from the standard of care `
CL Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing of a person with malice aforethought
Malice aforethought 4
intent to kill, intent to inflict great bodily harm, reckless disregard of an extreme risk of human life (depraved heart murder), or intent to commit an inherently dangerous felony (felony murder (4)
1st degree murder
Killing was willful, deliberate, and premeditated
MPC Murder
Killing of a person committed a) purposefully or knowingly OR b) recklessly under circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to the value of human life
Felony murder rule crimes
recklessness is presumed for robbery, rape, arson ,burglary, kidnapping
Voluntary manslaughter
intentional killing of another without malice aforethought (adequate provocation)
Adequate provocation
D was provoked and a reasonable person would have been provoked and not enough time to cool off and D did not in fact coool off
Involuntary manslaughter (4)
Unintentional killing of a person committed recklessly, under the misdemeanor-murder rule, during a non-dangerous felony, OR with criminal negligence
MPC manslaughter
Killing of a person committed recklessly or under the influence of extreme mental or emotional disturbance for which there is a reasonable explanation or excuse
Larceny
Trespassory taking and carrying away of the personal property of another with the intent to permanently deprive the owner of the property (intent must exist at the time of the taking)
Larceny by trick
obtain possession (not title) of the personal property of another by trick or deception
False pretenses
obtain title to personal property of another through an intentional false statement of material fact, with the intent to defraud
Embezzlement
fraudulent or wrongful conversion of personal property of another by a person with lawful possession of the property