Criminal Law and Procedure Flashcards
What are the elements of a crime?
Elements:1. Physical act (actus reus);2. Mental State element (mens rea);3. Causation (actual and proximate cause); AND4. Concurrence (mental state and physical act occur at the same time).Priority: HIGH
When is an Omission to act considered a crime?
- The defendant had a legal duty to act;2. The defendant had knowledge of facts concerning the duty to act; AND3. It was reasonably possible for the defendant to act.Priority: Medium
What does Causation require?
It requires both:1. Actual causation (but for); AND2. Proximate cause (it was foreseeable that the injury would have occurred from the defendant’s physical act).Priority: HIGH
What is a Superseding Intervening Cause?
It is a third-party’s act that breaks the chain of causation. This normally cuts off the defendant’s liability.An act will ONLY break the chain if the force was:1. Independent of the defendant’s wrongful conduct; AND2. Not foreseeable.Priority: HIGH
What is the Simultaneous Acts Rule?
A person’s acts will still be the proximate cause of a resulting injury if his wrongful conduct created a condition of peril.A wrongful act that accelerates death is still the legal cause of death, even if the person was going to die eventually.Priority: HIGH
Under the Common Law, what mental state categories were used?Mental states under the Model Penal Code?
Common Law: Specific Intent, General Intent, Malice, & Strict liability.MPC: Purposefully, Knowingly, Recklessly, & Criminal Negligence.*Willful Blindness Standard: A person acts knowingly when they are aware that certain facts are highly probable OR are intentionally ignorant of them.Priority: HIGH
_Murder_When is a Malice Aforethought killing established?
Upon a showing of:* An intent to kill;* An intent to inflict great bodily injury;* A reckless disregard of an extreme risk to human life; OR* An intent to commit an inherently dangerous felony under the felony murder rule.Priority: HIGH
_Murder_Second Degree Murdervs.First Degree Murder
Second Degree Murder: The unlawful killing of a person with malice aforethought.First Degree Murder: Occurs when the killing was willful, deliberate, AND premeditated.Priority: HIGH
_Murder_Murder under the Model Penal Code (MPC)
The killing of a person either:* Committed purposely/knowingly; OR* Recklessly under circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to the value of human life.*Recklessness and indifference are presumed if the killing occurred during the commission of or an attempt to commit a dangerous felony (Felony Murder Rule).Priority: HIGH
_Murder_Felony Murder Rule
A person is guilty of murder if a person is killed during their:* Commission of (or attempt to commit) a dangerous felony; OR* Felony escape.*Dangerous felony = robbery, rape, arson, burglary, kidnappingPriority: HIGH
What is Voluntary Manslaughter?
An intentional killing of a person without malice aforethought (adequate provocation).Adequate provocation is established if:1. The defendant was provoked;2. A reasonable person would have been provoked;3. There was not enough time to cool off before the killing; AND4. The defendant DID NOT cool off before the killing.Priority: HIGH
What is Involuntary Manslaughter?
An unintentional killing of a person committed:* Recklessly;* Under the Misdemeanor Murder Rule; OR* During a non-dangerous felony.Priority: HIGH
What is Manslaughter under the Model Penal Code (MPC)?
The killing of a person:* Committed recklessly; OR* Which would otherwise be murder, but is committed under the influence of extreme mental or emotional disturbance.*The MPC doesn’t distinguish between voluntary/involuntary manslaughter.Priority: HIGH
What are the elements of Larceny?
The:1. Trespassory taking,2. And carrying away,3. Of the personal property of another,4. With the intent to permanently deprive the owner of the property.*Larceny by Trick = when one obtains possession of another’s property by trick or deception.Priority: HIGH
What are the elements of False Pretenses?
It occurs when one:1. Obtains title,2. To personal property of another,3. Through a known false statement of material fact,4. With the intent to defraud.*Opinion or commercial puffery is NOT false pretenses.Priority: HIGH
What are the elements of Embezzlement?
- The fraudulent or wrongful,2. Conversion,3. Of personal property of another,4. By a person with lawful possession of the property.Priority: HIGH
What are the elements for the crime of Receiving Stolen Property?
When a person:1. Receives possession of stolen property,2. Who knows the property is stolen at the time of receiving it, AND3. With the intent to permanently deprive the owner of the property.Priority: HIGH
What are the elements of Robbery?
- The trespassory taking and carrying away,2. Of the personal property of another person,3. In their presence;4. By the use of force or threat of immediate physical harm,5. With the intent to permanently deprive the owner of the property.*Armed robbery requires the elements above, PLUS the use of a dangerous weapon.Priority: HIGH
What are the elements of Burglary?
Burglary is:1. The breaking and entering,2. Of a dwelling,3. Of another,4. At night,5. For the purpose of committing a felony inside.*Most jurisdictions have extended burglary to any structure at any time.Priority: HIGH
Under the Common Law, what are the elements of Rape?
- The unlawful sexual intercourse,2. Of a woman by a man (not her husband),3. Without her consent.*Under the common law, a husband could not be convicted of raping his wife. The modern definition now contains marital rape.Priority: Medium
_Rape_When is there a Lack of Effective Consent?
When:* Actual force is used;* Threats of immediate great bodily harm are used;* The victim is incapable of consenting; OR* The defendant fraudulently caused the victim to believe that the act is not intercourse.Priority: Medium
Under the MPC, when is a man guilty of rape?
If:* He compels her to submit by force or by threat of imminent death, serious bodily injury, extreme pain, or kidnapping;* He has substantially impaired her power to consent by secretly drugging her;* The female is unconscious; OR* The female is under 10 years old.*Deviate sexual intercourse is gender neutral and has the same elements as above.Priority: Medium
What are the elements of Statutory Rape?
- The unlawful sexual intercourse,2. With a person,3. Under the age of consent, regardless of whether it’s against the person’s will.*This is a Strict Liability crime.Priority: Medium
Battery vs. Assault
Battery: Unlawful application of force, directly or indirectly upon another person (or their clothes/belongings) that results in an injury or offensive contact. (General Intent Crime).Assault is either:* An attempted battery; OR* The intentional creation of a reasonable apprehension of imminent bodily harm to a person.Priority: Medium