Actus Reus
Another term for the criminal act.
What is actus reus?
The guilty mind or mental element of a crime.
What is mens rea?
Another term for “but for” cause.
What is factual cause?
A defense involving reasonable force to protect oneself.
What is self-defense?
Criminal conduct that qualifies for punishment.
What is criminal liability?
A failure to act when there is a legal duty.
What is an omission?
Conscious risk creation is known as this.
What is recklessness?
The fairness-based cause decided by juries.
What is proximate cause?
The “choice of evils” defense.
What is necessity?
A legal duty can arise from statutes, contracts, or these.
What are special relationships?
Only these types of acts qualify for criminal liability.
What are voluntary acts?
The highest level of culpability in the Model Penal Code.
What is purposely?
A cause that interrupts the chain of events.
What is an intervening cause?
Committing a crime because of threats or force from another person.
What is duress?
The doctrine encouraging aid to strangers in danger.
What is the Good Samaritan doctrine?
Possession where a person has physical control of an item.
What is actual possession?
Crimes requiring criminal intent plus an additional purpose.
What are specific intent crimes?
The requirement that criminal intent and the act happen together.
What is concurrence?
Defenses that challenge whether the prosecution proved criminal intent.
What are failure-of-proof defenses?
Crimes started but not completed are known as these offenses.
What are inchoate offenses?
Possession of something without knowing it is there.
What is mere possession?
Criminal liability without fault or intent.
What is strict liability?
Crimes requiring proof that the defendant caused a harmful result.
What are result crimes?
The defense used when someone lacks the mental ability to understand their actions.
What is insanity?
The only crime specifically defined in the U.S. Constitution.
What is treason?