Criminal Law Flashcards
Larceny (common law)
- trespassory
- taking and
- carrying away
- of the personal property
- of another
- with the intent to permanently deprive that person of the property (i.e. intent to steal)
Arson (common law)
- malicious
- burning
- of the dwelling
- of another
Robbery
- larceny
- from the person or presence of the victim
- by force or intimidation
define specific intent crime
specific intent crimes require that the defendant possess a subjective desire, specific objective, or knowledge to accomplish a prohibited result
crimes categorized as specific intent crimes
FIAT
1. first degree murder
2. inchoate offenses
3. assault with intent to commit a battery
4. theft offenses (larceny / by trick, false pretenses, embezzlement, forgery, burglary, robbery)
when is mistake of fact a defense to a specific intent crime? general intent crime?
spec intent: mistake of fact is a defense, even if mistake is unreasonable
general/malice: only a defense if mistake was reasonable
how can an accomplice legally withdraw/avoid liability for a crime?
- repudiate prior aid
- do all that is possible to countermand prior assistance
- do so before chain of events is in motion and unstoppable
when is withdrawal a defense to conspiracy?
common law: never, b/c conspiracy complete as soon as agreement
fed/majority: after agreement but before overt act, may w/d by: 1. communicating notice of intent not to participate to co-cons or informing cops
MPC/minority: w/d only possible if D acts voluntarily to thwart success of conspiracy
when is withdrawal a defense to the substantive crime underlying conspiracy?
by withdrawing from conspiracy any time after formed
may w/d by giving notice to co-cons or timely advising legal authorities even though doesn’t thwart conspiracy
four insanity tests
- M’Naghten
- irresistible impulse
- Durham rule
- MPC
M’Naghten test
D not guilty if b/c of defect of reason due to mental disease did not know either (i) nature and quality of act or (ii) wrongfulness of act
when is voluntary intoxication a defense?
only to specific intent crimes, if intoxication prevents formation of required intent
common law murder: specific intent?
no. common law murder is a malice crime even though it says ‘intent to kill’
arson: specific intent?
no. arson is a malice crime even though it says ‘intent to burn’
when is involuntary intoxication a defense?
when intoxication negates an element of the crime, including general and specific intent and malice crimes / strict liability
what happens if: someone is convicted of both felony murder and the underlying felony (e.g. arson)? what if convicted of the felony murder, then the arson?
the underlying crime merges into the felony murder
thus, prosecution for the underlying crime after the felony murder conviction violates double jeopardy
what felony murder liability results if a bystander is killed by a cop or dies b/c of felony victim’s resistance?
majority: agency theory. felon not liable for bystander death b/c neither cop nor victim is felon’s agent
minority, proximate cause: liability may attach b/c death direct consequence of felony
statutory first degree murder
deliberate and premeditated; felony murder; heinous murder (e.g. lying in wait, bombing, terrorism, poisoning)
specific intent crime
statutory second degree murder
homicide w/necessary malicious intent: to kill, great bodily injury, depraved heat murder, or non-BARRK felonies
malice crime
common law divisions of murder
murder
voluntarily manslaughter
involuntary manslaughter
(vs. 1st degree, 2nd degree, vol/invol manslaughter, felony murder)
common law murder
unlawful killing of another person with malice aforethought, malice shown by either:
1. intent to kill
2. intent to do serious bodily injury
3. reckless indifference to human life (depraved heart)
4. intent to commit a felony
involuntary manslaughter
unintentional homicide committed with criminal negligence (recklessness under MPC) or while engaged in unlawful act
larceny: trespassory
property taken w/o owner’s consent
when does the taking of stolen property from a thief constitute larceny?
constitutes larceny unless the taker has a superior possessory interest in the property (e.g. owner or lessee of the property)
proper defense to larceny?: had intent to permanently deprive, but gives it back
no. crime was complete at time of taking