Kaplan Criminal Law Foundation Slides Flashcards
Crimes Against the Person - Coverage Areas
Elements of Crimes 1- Mens Rea 2- Actus Reus 3- Defenses - Insanity - Self Defense
Crimes Against the Person 1- Assault and Battery 2- Murder - Felony Murder - Depraved Heart Murder - Intent to Inflict Serious Bodily Injury Murder 3- Manslaughter - Voluntary - Involuntary
Checkpoint Items for Criminal Procedure on the MBE
- Mental State Questions
- Statues
- Reading Comprehension Issues
- Defenses
- Multiple Types of Homicide
- Lesser includes Offenses
Approach to Crimes MC on the MBE
1- Type of Injury/ Who or what is the crimes against?
2- Statute?
3- What is the mind of the defendant?
4- Are there defenses?
Criminal Law - Crimes Against the Person; Principles of Criminal Liability are:
- Actus Reus
- Mens Rea
- Concurrence
- Causation
- Defenses
What is Mens Rea?
Means “Knowingly”
Describe what “Knowingly” means in regard to Mens Rea
A person has “knowledge” of a material fact if he is “aware of the fact” or he correctly believes that it exists.
Most jurisdictions permit a finding of “knowing” when
Most jurisdictions also permit a finding of knowledge of an attendant circumstance when the defendant is said to be guilty of “willful blindness” or “deliberate ignorance,” i.e., if the defendant is aware of a high probability of the existence of the fact in question, and he deliberately fails to investigate in order to avoid confirmation
What are the 3 types of Crime on the MBE
1- Specific Intent
2- General Intent
3- Strict Liability
What is a Specific Intent Crime
Specific Intent Crime - Requires an actual subjective intent to cause a specific result
What is a General Intent Crime
General Intent Crime- requires only an intent to do the prescribed act
What is a Strict Liability Crime
Strict Liability Crime - requires no mens rea;
What are Strict Liability Crimes
1- Regulatory offenses; Statutory Crimes
2- Regulation of food, drugs, firearms
3- Morality crimes
Voluntary Intoxication is what type of crime
It is a Specific Intent crime, but a defense to specific intent crime where it negates the mens rea, but no defense to a general intent crime such as arson
Mistake of Fact as a defense to the Specific Intent crimes
Mistake of fact is a defense to specific intent crime, any mistake which is reasonable or unreasonable
Mistake of Fact as a defense to the General Intent crimes
Mistake of fact is a defense to a General Intent, but ONLY reasonable mistake
Mistake of fact is a defense to Strict Liability Crimes
Mistake of fact is a defense to Strict Liability crimes is NO defense
Self Defense is defined as
Reasonable non-deadly force is allowed where defendant reasonably believes it is necessary to avert imminent harm
When is deadly force allowed
1- To meet deadly force; OR
2- To counter a threat of serious bodily harm
what is the general rule about a duty to retreat on the MBE
There is NO duty to retreat
Insanity Defense is a.k.a.
M’Naghten - cognitive test
What is the requirements to plead insantity
1- Defendant does not know the nature and quality of his act, OR
2- Defendant does not know what he was doing was wrong
Homicide - Intentional Murder is
Premeditated Mens Rea and Actus Rea