Penal Code Definitions Flashcards
Criminal Negligence
Ought to be aware of a substantial and unjustifiable risk of harm. (Failure to perceive the risk)
Reckless
Aware but consciously disregards a substantial and unjustifiable risk of harm. Reckless conduct is conduct that constitutes a gross deviation from the standard of care that an ordinary person would excercise. (Assumption of the risk).
Knowingly
Aware of the nature of his conduct.
Intentionally
Conscious objective or desire of the accused to engage in the conduct.
Element of the Offense
- The forbidden conduct. 2. The required culpability. 3. Any required result. 4. The negation of any exception to the offense.
Misdemeanor
Punishable by fine, or confinement, or both
Felony
Punishable by death (Capital Offense), or confinement in a penitentiary.
Tampering with a witness (or prospective witness)
Any person who possesses a threat to you because of what he knows. > CMS - Intent to influence a witness. > Act - Offers, confers, or agrees to confer (coercion is covered here), any benefit, on a witness, in an official proceeding, to alter testimony.
Tampering with a witness Classification
Felony 3 or most highest offense charged in criminal case.
Official Proceeding
Any proceeding that is conducted in front of a public servant.
Improper Influence (About the courts)
Prohibits private communication with a public servant. Intent to influence the outcome of a proceeding in court. Misdemeanor A.
Coercion of a public servant or voter
Coercion means threat. CMS- Intential , Knowing, or reckless. Act - Influence or attempt to influence by threat, a public servant or voter. Misdemeanor A, unless threaten a felony then it is a Felony 3.
Exception
“It is an exception to the application of…” You must negate the exception as an element of the offense only when this exact language appears in the code.
Law of Parties
Intent to promote or assist in the commission of an offense. Solicit, encourage, directs, aids, or attempts to aid another in committing an offense.
Affirmative Defense
Each element of the defense must be proven. Burden of proof falls on defendant. Must be proven by a preponderance of the evidence.
Criminal Episode
Two or more offenses. AND Offenses are pursuant to the same transaction. OR Two or more offenses that are connected to a common scheme.
Sentencing in a Criminal Episode
Sentence can run concurrently as a rule. Stacking allowed: Intoxication Assault Intoxication Manslaughter Sex Crimes against Children During Severance (separate trials - Asked for by defendant)
Causation
A person is criminally responsible if the result would not have occurred BUT FOR his conduct.
Transferred Intent
It doesn’t matter that the offense committed or the victim harmed was not the intended offense or victim.
Writ of Habeas Corpus
“You have the body” Writ to make the sheriff prove to a judge why you are in custody.
Bodily Injury
Physical pain, Illness, Or any impairment of physical condition
Serious Bodily Injury
Substantial risk of death or causes death or serious permanent disfigurement or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ.
Deadly Weapon
Firearm, Or anything manifestly designed for the purpose of inflicting death or SBI, Or anything used in a way that is capable of causing death or SBI.
Owner
Title Holder, Or person with greater right to possession
Death
Includes, for an individual who is an unborn child, the failure to be born alive.
Bribery
CMS- Intentional or Knowing. Act- Offer, confer, or agree to conferor solicit, accept or agree to accept: Any benefit as concideration for the recipents decision, vote or other excercise of discretion as a party official, public servant, or voter
As consideration for means
Inducement to a contract. This is what makes a bribe different than a gift.
Benefit
Anything reasonably regarded as pecuniary gain or pecuniary advantage, including benefit to any other person in whose welfare the beneficiary has a direct and substantial interest.
Fraudulent use or possession of identifying information
CMS- Intent to harm or defraud. Act- Obtain, possess, transfer or use any item of “identifying information”, without the consent of the owner. Classify penalty based on number of identifying items the actor has.
Forgery
CMS- Intent to harm or defraud another. Act- Forges a writing. Misdemeanor A as a general rule, State Jail if codicil or deed, Felony 3 if money or stocks, Raise one level if victim is elderly.
Credit Card or Debit Card Abuse
CMS- Intent to obtain a benefit fraudulently. Act- Present or Use a credit or debit card, with knowledge that the card is not yours or that the card has been revoked or cancelled. 10 other ways to misuse. State jail unless elderly vic.then it is Felony 3.
Writing
Printing Money, coins, tokens, stamps, badges symbols of value, right, priviledge, or identification
Forge
Alter a writing Transfer a forged writing possess a forged writing with intent to pass it
Unauthorized acquisition or transfer of certain financial information
CMS- Knowing you are not entitled to have it. Act- obtain or possess it or transfer it to a 3rd party. MA or MB
Tampering with Identification Numbers
CMS- Intentional or Knowing. Act- Remove, alter, or obliterate the serial number of tangible personal property OR possess or sell property where the numbers have been removed. Class A Misdemeanor.
Unauthorized use of Motor Vehicle
CMS- Intetionally or Knowingly (No intent to deprive that is what makes it different from theft). Act- operate a motor vehicle without consent of the owner. State Jail Felony
Theft of Service
CMS- Intent to avoid payment for service. Act- Obtain service. Use standard value ladder for classification.
Theft
CMS- Intent to deprive the owner of property. Act- Unlawfully appropriates property.
Trespass by license holder with concealed or open carry license
Carrying a handgun with a license, without effective consent, notice that your gun is not welcome, you carry or open carry.
Criminal Attempt
CMS- Intent to commit a specific offense. Act- one act beyond mere preparation which tends to effect the commission of the intended offense. Classify one level below the intended offense.
Criminal Trespass Classifications
General Rule is class B misdemeanor. Several special situations that change the penalty.
Criminal Trespass
CMS- Intentional, knowing, or reckless (assumed because not listed, comes from ch.6). Act- Enter or remain on property without effective consent of the owner, with notice that you are not welcome. Requires entry of the entire body.
Notice for Criminal Trespass
Oral or written request to leave. Fencing “No Trespassing” sign Purple paint
Burglary of Motor Vehicle Classifications
Generally a class A Misdemeanor. State Jail if the defendant has 2 or more prior BMV convictions OR if the vehicle is a rail car.
Burglary of Motor Vehicle
CMS- Intent to commit a felony or theft. Act- Break or enter the vehicle or any part of the vehicle.
Burglary of a coin operated machine
CMS- Intent to obtain property or services. Act- Break or enter into a coin operated machine, without the consent of the owner. Class A misdemeanor.
Burglary Crime Classifications
Bulding- State Jail Habitation- Felony 2 Habitation with intent to commit a felony other than theft- Felony 1
Burglary
CMS- Intent to commit a felony theft or assault. Act- Entering the plane with your body, any part of your body or any object attached to your body. OR: Remaining concealed in a building or habitation with the same CMS.
Entrapment
Induced to commit the crime by law enforcement. Conduct merely affording you the opportunity to commit a crime is NOT entrapment.
Duress
Affirmative Defense. Elements- Defendant compelled to engage in the prohibited conduct. Felony- threat or imminent death or SBI. Misdemeanor- Force or threat of force.
Intoxication
Voluntary intoxication is NEVER a defense to a crime.
Mistake of Law
Ignorance of the law is NOT a defense
Mistake of Fact
Not an affirmative defense. Reasonable belief that negates CMS.
Insanity
Affirmative Defense. Elements- At the time of the offense actor had a severe mental disease or defect. As a result of that disease, the actor DID NOT KNOW his conduct was wrong.
Act
bobily movement whether voluntary or involuntary and includes speech
Actor
A person whose criminal responsibilty is in issue in a criminal action. Suspect.
Agency
Authority, board, bureau, commission, committee, counsil, department, district, division, office.
Another
A person other than the actor
Association
a government or governmental subdivision or agency, trust, partnership, or two or more persons having a joint or common economic interest.
Coercion
Threat, to commit an offense, to inflict bodily injury to another, to accuse a person of any offense, to take or withhold action as a public servant or to cause a public servant to take or withhold action.
Conduct
an act or ommission and its accompanying mental state.
consent
Assent in fact
Effective consent
Consent by a person legally authorized to act for the owner
Official Proceeding
any type of administrative, executive, legislative, or judicial proceeding that may be conducted before a public servant.
Jurisdiction
Authority or power over someone or something
Proof beyond a reasonable doubt
Prosecutor’s burden to get a conviction at trial
Proof beyond a preponderance of the evidence
Defendant’s burden on affirmative defenses.
Probable Cause
Peace officer’s burden in order to make an arrest.
Murder
CMS- Intentionally or knowingly Act- causes a death. Intended to cause SBI or to commit a felony and the act was clearly dangerous to human life and caused the death. Felony 1 unless adequate cause (sudden passion) then felony 2.
Adequate Cause
Cause that would commonly produce a degree of anger, rage, resentment, or terror in a person of ordinary temper, sufficient to render the mind incapable of cool reflection
Capital Murder
CMS- Intentionally or knowingly. Act- cause a death. AND Victim is a peace officer/Fireman & in lawful discharge of official duty, Murder for $$$, Victim under 10, multiple victims, murder in the course of kidnapping, burg, robbery, agg sex assault; ect.
Manslaughter
CMS- Recklessly. Act- Cause a death. Felony 2
Criminally Negligent Homicide
CMS- Criminal Negligence. Act- Casues a death. State Jail Felony
Criminal Solicitation
CMS- Intent to commit a Felony 1 or Capital Murder. Act- Requests, commands, or attempts to induce another to commit the felony intended. Classify- F1 if capital felony was intended, F2 if F1 was intended.
Renunciation
Affirmative defense. Elements- Voluntarily and completely, The Actor abandoned Criminal Conduct, OR the actor took affirmative action to prevent the offense.
Criminal Instruments
CMS- Intent to use. Act- Possess anything the possession, manufacture, or sale of which is NOT OTHERWISE AN OFFENSE that is specifically designed, made or adapted for use in the commission of an offense. Classify one level below intended offense.
Unlawful installation of a tracking device
CMS- Knowingly. Act- Installs tracking device on a motor vehicle owned by someone else.
Kidnapping
CMS- Intentional or knowing. Act- Abducts another person. F3. Affirmative defense- No deadly force intent or threat, Relative with intent to lawfully assume control of the victim.
Abduct
Restrain a person with intent to prevent his liberation by; Secreting or holding him in a place where he is not likely to be found; OR Using or threatening to use deadly force.
Restrain
restrict a person’s movements without consent, so as to interfere substantially with the person’s liberty, by moving the person from one place to another or by confining the person.
Relative
a parent or stepparent, ancestor, sibling, or uncle or aunt, including an adoptive relative of the same degree through marriage or adoption.
Unlawful Restraint
CMS- Intentional or knowing. Act- Restrains another person. Mis. A as general rule. State jail victim under 17. F3 if victim is recklessly exposed to SBI. Affirmative defense- Child under 14 AND relative AND intent is to assume lawful control of child.
Aggravated Kidnapping
CMS- Intentional or Knowing. Act- Abducts another with intent to hold him for ransom; use him as a shield or hostage; commit a felony or flight; inflict BI or sex abuse; terrorize him; interfere with government; or use or display of deadly weapon. F1
Smuggling of Persons
CMS- Intent 2 obtain pecuniary benefit Act- use a mv 2 trans. someone with intent to conceal from an officer, ICE, or 2 flee OR Encourage a person 2 enter or remain in the country in violation of law by concealing, harboring or shielding from detection F3
Continuous Smuggling
During the period of ten or more days a person engages in two or more smugglings. F2 unless there is liklihood for SBI or death than it is a F1
Trafficking of persons
CMS- Knowingly. Act- Traffic another person with intent that the trafficked person engage in forced labor or services. F2 general rule. Child victim (even if actor did not know the childs age) F1.
Criminal Solicitation of a Minor
CMS- Intent to commit a 3G offense (virtually all felonies). Act- Requests, commands, attempts to induce minor (under 17) to engage in specific conduct that would constitute a 3G or make the minor a party to a 3G.
Online Solicitation of a Minor
CMS- Intent to commit a 62.001 Offense (sex crime and trafficking) Act- intentionally contact a minor (under 17) through the internet, email, text and communicates or distributes sexually explicit material. OR knowingly solicits a minor to engage in sex
Deviate Sexual Intercourse
Any contact between any part of the genitals of one person and the mouth or anus of another person; OR the penetration of the genitals or the anus of another person with an object.
Sexual Contact
Any touching of the anus, breast, or any part of the genitals of another person with intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person.