crime
an act in violation of a criminal statue
Model Penal Code
a collection of criminal statutes; it was created for the states to adopt in whole or in part, and has helped create uniformity in criminal law
presumption
an inference in support of a specific fact
rebuttable presumption
an inference that may be rebutted or challenged
deter
to stop, discourage, or prevent a person from performing a certain act
rehabilitation
the process of helping a person attain or regain his or her potential as a citizen; may take the form of counseling or therapy
incapacitation
the act of restraining a person from taking certain actions
retribution
punishment for a crime
mens rea
the mental element of a crime; sometimes called the "guilty mind"
purposeful act
an act that is performed willfully or voluntarily
knowing act
an act that is performed consciously or with knowledge
reckless act
an act where a person is careless or indifferent to the consequences of the action
negligent act
an act in which a person acts with a substantial and unjustifiable risk
inference
a logical conclusion of a fact that is not supported by direct evidence; a deduction made by a judge or a jury, based on common sense and the evidence presented in the trial
actus reus
the physical element of a crime; the guilty act or the physical aspect of the crime
voluntary act
an unconstrained act
concur
to act together
homicide
the taking of the life of a human being by another
first-degree murder
a homicide that is premeditated, willful, and deliberate
manslaughter
a lesser crime than murder
second-degree murder
a homicide that involves an impulsive act, rather than a premeditated act
battery
a reckless or intentional, harmful, or offensive touching of another; it is both a crime and a tort
assault
the placing of another in apprehension or fear of an imminent battery; it is both a crime and a tort
kidnapping
the unlawful taking, confinement, and carrying away of another person, by threat, force, fraud, or deception
false Imprisonment
the intentional interference with another person's liberty through force or threat without authority
burglary
the unlawful entry of a structure or building for the purpose of committing a felony inside
defense
the explanation of why the person complaining should not prevail in his or her action
juvenile delinquent
a minor, as defined by law, who violates a criminal law