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Criminal Law Prep
Preparation for Criminal Law Course
100
Criminal Justice
Undergraduate 3
06/28/2012

Additional Criminal Justice Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Five Basic Elements of Crime
Definition
Actus Reus, Mens Rea, Concurrence, Causation, and Resulting in Injury or Crime
Term
Actus Reus
Definition
A guilty act that is conscious and voluntary.
Term
Omission to Act
Definition
No duty to action on behalf of a stranger in peril.
Term
Exception to Omission to Act
Definition
By contract, law, and relationship can an omission to a person be criminally liable for a failure to act.
Term
Five Classification of Crimes
Definition
Felonies, Misdemeanors, Malum in Se Crimes, Malum Prohibitum, Infamous Crimes.
Term
Felonies
Definition
Crimes that are generally punishable by death, or imprisonment exceeding one year.
Term
Examples of Common-Law Felonies
Definition
Burglary, Rape, Arson, Robbery, Manslaughter, Murder and Mayhem.
Term
Misdemeanor
Definition
Offenses lower than felonies generally punishable by less than a year in jail, or by fine.
Term
Malum in Se Crimes
Definition
A crime that is wrong in itself. An act involving illegality from the nature of it's transaction.
Term
Examples of Malum in Se Crimes
Definition
Burglary,Robbery, Rape, Arson, Manslaughter, and Murder.
Term
Malum Prohibitum
Definition
An act that is not inherently immoral, but is expressly forbidden by positive law. Crimes by Legislative Statues. Violation of Statues.
Term
Examples of Malum Prohibitum
Definition
Selling liquor to a minor, Speeding, and Running a stop sign.
Term
Infamous Crimes
Definition
Crimes that is shameful, or disgraceful. Usually involves Fraud, or Dishonesty.
Term
Examples of Infamous Crimes
Definition
Perjury, Embezzlement, Mail and Securities Fraud.
Term
Three Theories of Liability
Definition
Direct Liability, Vicarious Liability, and Enterprise Liability.
Term
Four Types of Direct Liability
Definition
Principle in the 1st Degree (P1) also known as Perpetrator. Principle in the 2nd Degree (P2) also known as at the scene aider or accomplice. Acessory-Before-the-Fact is also known as an accomplice. Acessory-After-the-Fact is also known as an accessory
Term
Principle in the 1st Degree (P1) AKA Perpetrator
Definition
One who actually commits the crimes by his/her own hand.
Term
Principle in the 2nd Degree (P2) AKA At the Scene Aider or Accomplice
Definition
One who aids in the commision of a crime with the intent the crime be committed, but is not the actual perpetrator, but is at the scene of the crime.
Term
Acessory Before the Fact AKA Accomplice
Definition
One who is not present at the time the crime is committed, yet assists, counsels, encourages, or incites the commission of a crime, with the intent the crime be committed.
Term
Accessory Before the Fact AKA Accomplice Model Penal Code
Definition
Accomplice is liable for all crimes comitted. Accomplice is guilty of the felony committed even if not present at the commision of the crime.
Term
Pinkertons Rules
Definition
All co-conspiritors are liable for forseeable crimes that are a natural consequence of criminal agreement.
Term
Accessory Before the Fact, Accomplice Liability, Two Main Elements
Definition
Specific Intent that the crime be committed. Must aid abet and encourage the commission of the crime.
Term
Accessory Before the Fact, Accomplice Liability, Felony Murder Rule
Definition
Death Penalty can only be imposed on an actual killer, not on an accomplice.
Term
Acccessory After the Fact
Definition
One who knows a felony has been committed (post crime) and gives aid to help the Defendant to avoid apprehension.
Term
In order to find Accessory After the Fact guilty
Definition
Completed Felony was committed, Accessory must know felony was committed, Accessory gave aid or assistance to the Defendant.
Term
Accessory After the Fact will be found guilty of:
Definition
Obstruction of Justice, Hindering arrest, or Harboring a fugitive
Term
Vicarious Liability
Definition
Based on a relationship, one can be held liable for the conduct of another. For example, Owner of a liquor store is going to be held liable for it's employees when they sell liquor to a minor.
Term
Enterprise Liability (Common Law)
Definition
Coporations not held criminally liable.
Term
Enterprise Liability (Model Penal Code)
Definition
A corporation can be held criminally liable for the crimes of it's officers and agents if a crime is committed when they are acting in the scope of employment.
Term
Defenses to Crime
Definition
Justification, Excuse, and Mitigation.
Term
Justification
Definition
The defendant will not be held liable for conduct that is justified. A justified action is permitted for protective reasons.
Term
Main Types of Justification
Definition
Necessity, Self-Defense, Defense of Others, Prevention of Crime, Defense of Property.
Term
Necessity
Definition
A Defendant may assert a defense of necessity when there would be a greater harm.
Term
Self-Defense
Definition
One is justified in using the amount of force which is reasonable necessary to prevent an attack.
Term
Self-Defense, Deadly Force
Definition
Only justified when one is being threatened with serious bodily injury, or death.
Term
Self-Defense, Deadly Force (Common Law/Minority)
Definition
Must attempt to retreat if able, before use of deadly force was permitted.
Term
Self-Defense (MPC, Maj./MBE)
Definition
There is no need to retreat before using deadly force if reasonable risk of death or serious injury is imminent.
Term
Defense of Others
Definition
One is justified to kill if another is in peril of death or serious injury is imminent.
Term
Defense of Others (Minority)
Definition
Step into the shoes of the person he/she is defending.R
Term
Defense of Others (Majority/MBE)
Definition
Allows for a reasonable mistake.
Term
Prevention of a crime (Common Law)
Definition
One was justified in using deadly force to stop the commission of a felony.
Term
Prvention of a crime, Model Penal Code (Majority and MBE)
Definition
Limits Deadly Force to imminent public danger and only police, not citizen may use deadly force to prevent a crime.
Term
Defense of Property
Definition
You may never use deadly force to defend property. Only exception is when you are in your own home.
Term
Excuses to Criminal Conduct
Definition
Insanity, Diminished Capacity, Infancy, Intoxication, Mistake, Duress, Consent, and Entrapment.
Term
Four Theories of Insanity
Definition
M'Naghten (right/wrong test), MPC (Substantial Capacity Test), Irresistable Impulse (Inability to Control), Durham Rule.
Term
M'Naghten Rule Common Law, Maj./MBE
Definition
At the time of the crime defendant had a mental disease so that he/she did not understand the nature or quality of the act, or did not know the act was wrong.
Term
(MPC Rule) Substantial Capacity Test
Definition
A mental disease or defect resulting in the defendant lacking substantial capacity to either appreciate criminality of conduct, or conform conduct to requirements of the law.
Term
Irrisistible Impulse Test
Definition
Defendant substantially impaired mind caused a lack of ability to control the act committed.
Term
Durham Rule
Definition
"But For" the mental illness of the defendant, he/she would not have committed a crime.
Term
Diminished Capacity
Definition
Used to negate Specific Intent Crimes. May be used as a defense and is limited to specific intent crimes. Defendant could not form the intent due to diminished capacity as a result of mental defect or disease.
Term
Infancy
Definition
Over 14 - Treated as an Adult
7 to 14 - Rebuttable presumption they lack capacity to commit crime.
0 to 6 - Conclusive they lack capacity.
Term
Intoxication
Definition
Voluntary and Involuntary; Both may be a defense to specific intent crimes, when it negates a mental intent element of a specific intent crime.r
Term
Voluntary Intoxication
Definition
Can be used as a defense to negate Specific Intent Crimes. No Defense to General Intent Crimes.
Term
Involuntary Intoxication
Definition
Can be used as a defense to negate Specific Intent Crimes and General Intent Crimes.
Term
Mistake of Fact
Definition
An honest and reasonable mistake of fact may excuse conduct, which would not be illegal if the facts were as the Defendant mistakenly believed them to be.
Term
Mistake of Fact (General Intent)
Definition
General intent crime mistake of good fact must be reasonable, and in good faith.
Term
Mistake of Fact (Specific Intent)
Definition
Specific intent crime Mistake of Fact can be unreasonable, but must be in good faith honest mistake.
Term
What are the general intent crimes?
Definition
Rape, battery, arson, mayhem, involuntary manslaughter, and depraved heart murder.
Term
Mistake of Law
Definition
If Defendants conduct is illegal, mistake of law is no defense, even if he/she think his/her conduct is legal. Ignorance of the law is no defense. Also, bad advice from a lawyer, that an act is legal, is no defense to a crime.
Term
Exception to Mistake of Law
Definition
Where it can be traced to a contradictory government law. w
Term
Duress or Coercion
Definition
When defendant commits a crime due to imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury. No defense to homicide.
Term
Entrapment
Definition
Government or police action that induced defendant to commit a crime he/she was not predisposed to commit prior to initial contact by Government or police.
Term
Types of Defense of Mitigation
Definition
Heat of passion killings, Imperfect Self Defense, Mistaken Justification, Coercion/Duress, and Diminished Capacity.
Term
Heat of Passion Killing (mitigation)
Definition
Mitigates murder to voluntary manslaughter.
Term
Elements of Heat of Passion Killing
Definition
Adequate Provocation, No time to cool off, and Loss of Mental Equilibrium.
Term
Imperfect Self-Defense
Definition
An unreasonable belief in the need for self-defense.
Term
Mistaken Justification
Definition
When one comes to the aid of another, they step into the shoes of the other, or use excessive force.
Term
Coercion/Duress (mitigation)
Definition
Not a defense to murder.
Term
Diminished Capacity (mitigation)
Definition
Will negate specific intent elements needed for specific intent crimes.
Term
What are the types of Inchoate crimes?
Definition
The types of Inchoate crimes are solicitation, attempt, and conspiricy (SAC). All SAC crimes are specific intent crimes.
Term
What is the definition Inchoate?
Definition
Imperfect; partial; unfinished; begun, but not yet completed.
Term
What is solicitation?
Definition
When a Defendant has the intent to solicit, entice, or induce another to commit a crime. Crime is complete at the time of the solicitation. Once target offense is committed solicitation will merge with the completed target offense.
Term
What is attempt (specific intent)?
Definition
When Defendant acts to commit a crime, but is unable to complete the target offense.
Term
What are the elements of attempt?
Definition
Must have the specific intent that the crime be committed. Must take a substancial step in furtherance of the crime. Mere preparation is not enough.
Term
Examples of substancial step?
Definition
Lying in wait, solicitation to commit murder, unlawful entry of a structure where crime is to occur, possession of materials for use in crime.
Term
Withdrawal as a defense to Attempt. (Majority/MBE)
Definition
No effect on an attempt to withdrawl once Defendant is in the zone or act of the crime.
Term
Withdrawal as a defense to Attempt. (Model Penal Code)
Definition
A withdrawal can be effective if it is voluntary and successful. Defendant must inform all parties of his intent to withdraw and Defendant must thwart the target offense by informing police.
Term
Withdrawal as a defense to Attempt.
(Common Law)
Definition
Legal impossibility was a defense for attempt. Factual impossibility was no defense to attempt.
Term
Legal impossibility as a defense to Attempt.
Definition
Even if the Defendant does what he intended to do, but the act does not constitute a crime, then it is legally impossible to commit the crime.
Term
Factual Impossibility as a defense to Attempt.
Definition
The defendants attempts a crime, but could not complete the target offense due to facts unknown to him.
Term
What is conspiricy?
Definition
An agreement between two or more guilty parties to commit a criminal act. Conspiricy does not merge with actual crime. It is a separate offense.
Term
Conspiricy (Common Law)
Definition
Must have a specific intent that the target offence be committed. Must have an agreement between two or more guilty parties. If one was found not guilty of conspiricy, both or all are found not guilty of conspiricy.
Term
Model Penal Code (Majority/MBE)
Definition
Specific Intent, Agreement of two or more guilty parties, and Overt Act or Substancial Step. One co-conspiritor can be found guilty without the other. Only one party need make an overt act.
Term
Examples of an Overt Act
Definition
Casing the bank, buying a gun, and making a plan.
Term
Withdrawal as a defense to conspiricy. (Common Law) (Majority/MBE)
Definition
No withdrawal to conspiracy once the agreement is made. The moment agreement is made, the crime is complete.
Term
Withdrawal as a defense to conspiracy(Model Penal Code) (Minority)
Definition
Withdrawal is a valid defense if he/she informs all parties of intent to withdraw. Defendant must thwart the the target offence. Must inform the police.
Term
Conspiracy (Pinkerton's Rule)
Definition
All parties to a conspiracy are liable for all crimes committed within the scope, or in furtherance of the crime.
Term
Conspiracy (Wharton's Rule)
Definition
Crimes where two parties are necessary for commission of the offense, no conspiracy unless there is an additional third person.
Term
Examples of Wharton's Rule
Definition
Gambling, Incest, Bigamy, and Adultery.
Term
What is homicide?
Definition
Killing of a human being by another human.
Term
What are the types of Homicide?
Definition
Murder and Manslaughter
Term
Types of Murder
Definition
Intent to Kill Murder, Felony Murder, Serious Bodily Injury Murder, Depraved Heart Murder.
Term
What is Intent to Kill Murder?
Definition
Intent to kill with premeditation and deliberation.
Term
What are the elements of Intent to Kill Murder?
Definition
Intent to Kill, Premeditation, and Deliberation.
Term
What is the Felony Murder Rule (General Intent Crime)
Definition
An unintentional that occurs during the commission of an inherently dangerous homicide.
Term
What are the Elements of the Felony Murder Rule?
Definition
The killing must occur during the commission of a dangerous felony. Felony must be one of the following felonies: Burglary, Arson, Rape, Robbery, Kidnapping, and Law Enforcement Officer Killed.
Term
Limitations to Felony Murder Rule, General Rule
Definition
When a co-felon kills a victim the Felony Murder Rule will apply to all co-felons.
Term
What is Special Felony Murder Rule
Definition
When an innocent person kills the victim. At common law, All co-felons are liable.
Term
What is the Red Line Rule MPC (Maj/MBE)?
Definition
If an innocent person kills a co-felon, courts will not apply Felony Murder Rule on the other co-felons. When an innocent person is killed by another innocent person then the Felony Murder Rule will apply to all co-felons.
Term
What is Murder to Commit Serious Bodily Injury (General Intent Crime)?
Definition
An unintentional killing caused by the Defendant, who intended to cause serious bodily injury to the victim.
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