Criminal Law Flashcards
When does a state acquire jurisdiction over a crime?
If either the conduct or the result happened in that state
What two crimes merge into the substantive offense?
Soliciation -> Conspiracy
Attempt -> Completed Crime
What crime does not merge into the substantive offense?
Conspiracy
What are the essential elements of a crime?
There must be a voluntary act.
Is there a legal duty to rescue?
No.
When is there a legal duty to act?
- statute (file tax returns),
- contract (nurse),
- relationship (parent or spouse),
- voluntarily assume a duty of care and fail to perform it, 5. conduct created peril
What is a specific intent crime?
- First Degree Murder
- Assault
- Solicitation
- Conspiracy
- Attempt.
- Larceny
- Embezzlement
- False Pretenses
- Robbery
- Burglary
- Forgery
whats the significance of a specific intent crime?
they qualify for 2 additional defenses. (1) Voluntary intoxication and (2) unreasonable mistake of fact.
what are the two malice crimes?
murder and arson
what are general intent crimes?
rape and battery
How do you know when the statute is mean to be a no intent crime of strict liability?
when you dont see the adverbs : Knowingly, Willfully, or intentionally.
what are the four mental states on the MPC
Purposely - conscious objective to engage
Knowingly - aware conduct will cause result
Recklessly - consciously disregards a substantial and unjustifiable risk
Negligently - fails to be aware of a substantial and unjustifiable risk
What are the elements to being an accomplice?
- aid, advise, or encourage principal in the commission of the crime.
- accomplice must have the requisite intent that the crime be committed
what crimes are accomplices liable for?
- the crime itself, and
2. all other forseeable crimes
how can an accomplice withdraw?
- repudiate encouragement
- neutralize assistance
- contacting police
what does inchoate mean?
incomplete
what are the three inchoate offenses?
- Solicitation
- Conspiracy
- Attempt
What is solicitation?
- asking someone to commit a crime
When does solicitation merge into conspiracy?
when the person asked agrees to commit the crime.
Is factual impossibility a defense to solicitation?
NO.
what are the elements to conspiracy?
- an agreement (does not need to be expressed)
- intent to agree
- intent to pursue an unlawful objective
- overt act (mere prepartion will do.
what crimes are conspirators liable for?
- crimes committed in furtherance of conspiracy
2. and were foresseable.
what is the bilateral approach? (common law)
requires two guilty parties to be guilty of conspiracy.
what is the unilateral approach?
the modern trend requires only that one person have a genuine criminal intent.
is factual impossibility a defense to conspiracy?
no.
is withdraw a defense to conspiracy?
No can never relieve the defendant from liability for the conspiracy itself. But can be used for subsequent crimes.
What are the elements of attempt?
- specific intent
2. an overt act (substantial step) in furtherance of the crime
Once a defendant has taken a substantial step toward committing the crime is abandonment a defense?
No. The MPC allows for the defense only if it is fully voluntary and a complete renunciation of criminal purpose.
Is factual impossibility or legal impossibility a defense?
legal impossibility is, factual is not.
What are the four insanity defenses?
- M’Naghten
- Irresistible Impulse
- Durham
- MPC
What is the M’Naghten defense?
the D lacked the ability to know the wrongfulness or understand the nature of actions.