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American Judicial
Substantive Criminal Law
32
Criminal Justice
Undergraduate 2
12/13/2012

Additional Criminal Justice Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
mala in se
Definition

crimes that are evil in themselves

(ex. murder)

Term
mala prohibita
Definition

acts that are illegal because we make them so-

created because we need to regulate certain behaviors

(ex. speed limits)

Term
elements of a crime
Definition

actus reus

mens rea

concurrence

causation

 

Term
burden of proof
Definition
elements of a crime must be proven
Term
mens rea
Definition
criminal intent; evil mind
Term

types of mens rea (4)

 

Definition

purposely

knowingly

recklessly

negligently

Term
mens rea-purposely
Definition
to intentionally produce a specific result(the harm)
Term
mens rea-knowingly
Definition
aware that the conduct could produce harm
Term
mens rea-recklessly
Definition
defendant is aware of unjustifiable and substantial risk of harm
Term
mens rea-negligently
Definition
act creates a substantial risk of harm; defendant may not be aware of the risk but should have known
Term
concurrence
Definition

actus reus and mens rea are related; co-occurred

 

the person's wrongful act must be attributable to his/her guilty(evil) mental state

Term
causation
Definition

did the act result in harm?

cause and effect between act and harm

Term
corpus delicti
Definition

"the body of the crime"

 

existence of some evidence that a crime was committed and the suspect's actions were criminal

Term
attendent circumstances
Definition
certain circumstances that must be present at the time the crime was committed
Term
strict liability crimes
Definition

do not require mens rea

 

once you do the act, you're done

(ex. DUI, statutory rape, felony murder)

Term
types of intent (3)
Definition

general intent

specific intent

transferred intent

Term
general intent
Definition
intent to the commit act, but not necessarily the harm that resulted
Term
specific intent
Definition
committing the act in order to produce the harm
Term
transferred intent
Definition
defendant intends one harmful result but produces a different one
Term
types of defenses to crimes
Definition

justifications

excuses

Term
types of justifications
Definition

necessity (self defense)

 

defenden's actions were necessary to prevent harm to oneself or other

(the threat has to be immenent and unprevoked.  you can only use the force necessary to overcome the threat)

 

consent

whether the victim agreed to all/part of defendant's criminal acts

Term
definition and types of excuses (4)
Definition

unable to control his actions given the circumstances

 

duress

entrapment

intoxication

insanity

Term
duress
Definition
acted because of threat of SBI
Term
SBI
Definition

Serious Bodily Injury

 

in MA: serious/protracted loss of organ or limb

Term
entrapment
Definition

enticed into committing the crime

 

(cannot already be predisposed to committing the crime)

Term
intoxication
Definition

must be involuntary intoxication

 

defendent could not form the requisite mens rea for the crime charged 

Term

ways to prove insanity (4)

 

Definition

M'Naughten rule

irrisistable impulse

Durham test

MPC substantial capacity test

Term
M'Naughten Rule
Definition
because of a disease of the mind, the actor does not know the nature and quality of the act; or does not know it was wrong
Term
irrisistable impulse
Definition
as a result of disease/defect, the defendant was unable to resist
Term
Durham test
Definition
the act was a "product" of a mental disease/defect
Term
MPC substantial capacity test
Definition
as a result of mental disease/defect, defendant either lacked the capacity to understand that the conduct was wrong; or could not conform his/her behavior in accorordance with the law
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