CRIM 100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Actus Reus, Inchoate Offense, Mens Rea
Document Summary
Crim 100 lecture 11 introduction to criminal law. Principles of criminal law: all must be present, a crime is legally proscribed human conduct causative of a given harm which conduct coincides with a blameworthy frame of mind and is subject to punishment. Legality: law must define behavior as criminal: ex post facto laws- not valid laws, government can"t create laws to punish past behavior, actus reus (criminal act): the guilty act, The external element or objective: actus reus is one element in criminal liability or criminal culpability, guilty mind also required for definition of crime, causation. The act caused the harm directly: harm, damage, removal, interference, injury, death, etc . Legally protected value (ownership or right: person, property, or other tangible thing. Focuses on intentions of defendant: mens rea also becomes a key area of defense, punishment. If found guilty, the government may punish: social stigma, criminal record.
