Criminal Law Lecture Flashcards
how does a state acquire jurisdiction over a crime?
if either the conduct or the result happened in that state
generally, is there a merger of crimes in American law?
no (meaning if you commit 2 crimes, you can be charged for both)
what is the exception to the rule that there is not a merger of crimes in American law?
solicitation and attempt merged into the substantive offense
what 2 crimes merge into the substantive offense?
- solicitation
2. attempt
what does it mean when 2 crimes merge?
if you have completed that crime, you cannot be convicted of attempted to commit that crime
does conspiracy merge into the substantive offense?
No. Only solicitation and attempt merge
what are the 2 requirements for a crime?
- an act (or failure to act) and
2. mental state
definition of an act?
any voluntary bodily movement
what types of act do not qualify for criminal liability?
- conduct which is not the product of your own volition
- a reflexive or convulsive act
- an act performed while you are unconscious or asleep
is there a legal duty to rescue
no
when is there a duty to act? (5)
- statute
- contract
- relationship
- voluntary (voluntarily assume a duty of care and then fail to adequately perform it)
- peril (your conduct created the peril)
(SCRVP = some capture really vicious parrots)
what are the 4 common law mental states of a crime?
- specific intent crimes
- malice crimes
- general intent crimes
- strict liability crimes
what is special about specific intent crimes?
they qualify for the 2 additional defenses of voluntary intoxication and unreasonable mistake of fact
what are the specific intent crimes?
(Students Can Always Fake A Laugh, Even For Ridiculous Bar Facts)
- Solicitation (inchoate offense)
- Conspiracy (inchoate offense)
- attempt (inchoate offense)
- first degree murder
- assault
- larceny
- embezzlement
- false pretenses
- robbery
- burglary
- forgery
what are the 2 malice crimes?
- murder (not 1st degree) and
2. arson
what is the most common general intent crime?
battery
does the doctrine of transferred intent apply to specific intent crimes?
yes
does merger come into play when there is transferred intent (i.e. 2 victims)?
no because there are 2 victims so D can be charged with 2 crimes
can a defense that negates intent be a defense to a strict liability crime?
no
what is a strict liability crime?
a crime that does not require intent on behalf of D
how can you tell if a crime is a strict liability crime?
- The crime is in the administrative, regulatory, or morality area AND
- there are no adverbs in the statute such as knowingly, willfully, or intentionally
what are the MPC mental states?
- purposely
- knowingly
- recklessly
- negligently
How does one act purposefully as an MPC mental state?
One acts purposely when it is his conscious objective to engage in certain conduct or cause a certain result.
How does one act knowingly as an MPC mental state?
One acts knowingly when he is aware that his conduct will very likely cause the result.
How does one act recklessly as an MPC mental state?
One acts recklessly when he consciously disregards a substantial and unjustifiable risk
Who is an accomplice?
One who aids, advises, or encourages the principal in the commission of the crime charged.
what must an accomplice have to be charged and convicted of a crime?
the requisite intent
what is an accomplice liable for?
the crime itself and all other foreseeable crimes
how must an accomplice withdraw if the accomplice encouraged the crime?
repudiate the encouragement
how must an accomplice withdraw if he was an accomplice because he provided assistance to the principal (ex. provided material)?
He must do everything possible to neutralize the assistance (ex. retrieve the materials)
what is the one way an accomplice can always withdraw?
contact the police
what is an inchoate crime?
an incomplete crime
what is the crime of solicitation?
solicitation is asking someone to commit a crime
when does the crime of solicitation end?
when you ask the person to commit a crime
in order to be charged and convicted of solicitation, must the person asked agree to commit the crime?
no
if in the process of solicitation, the person solicited agreed to commit the crime, what happens?
the crime becomes conspiracy and the solicitation merges. Both charged w/ conspiracy
is factual impossibility a defense to solicitation?
no
what is the crime of conspiracy?
Conspiracy is an agreement, with an intent to agree, and an intent to pursue an unlawful objective
(agreement + overt act)
does conspiracy merge w/ the substantive offense?
no
when is a co-conspirator liable for all the crime of the other co-conspirators?
if the crimes were:
- committed in furtherance of the conspiracy and
- were foreseeable
does an agreement in a conspiracy need to be express?
no, it can be implied
what is the bilateral approach to conspiracy?
-is the traditional (common law) rule
If one person (in a two party conspiracy) is merely feigning agreement to the conspiracy, the other person cannot be guilty of conspiracy
what is the unilateral approach to conspiracy?
- modern trend & MPC approach
- only one person in a conspiracy has to have a genuine criminal intent
is factual impossibility a defense to conspiracy?
no
can withdrawal, even if adequate, relieve the D from liability for the conspiracy itself?
no. The D withdraws from liability for the other conspirators’ subsequent crimes, but he cannot withdraw from the specific conspiracy
what is attempt?
- specific intent +
2. an overt act in furtherance of the crime