CJUS 200 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Actus Reus, Victimless Crime, Criminal Negligence
3 Dec 2017
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Document Summary
Crime is a violation of the criminal law. Crime is defined by specific actions and their consequences. Felony - result in a sanction of a year or more in prison or the death penalty. Misdemeanor - proscribe punishments no greater than a year in jail. Limited definition of crime, thus excluding behaviors that are technically illegal. A criminal act (actus reus) must be committed, though failure to act may b crime in some situations. The offender must have intended to commit the crime. The act and intent must be joined together. Must establish that the action was a direct cause of harm. For the act to be considered a crime under the criminal law, the offender must h intended to commit the action. Mens rea refers to guilty mind ay be a ust have d the. The suspect intended to commit the crime, but may not have intended the specific consequence.
