State of mind
what you are thinking; most crimes require that the actor have a guilty state of mind, meaning that he or she purposefully commits the prohibited act
Motive
the reasons a person commits a crime
Strict liability
the legal responsibility for damage or injury even if you are not negligent
Elements
the conditions that make an act unlawful
Felony
a serious criminal offense, punishable by a prison sentence of more than one year
Misdemeanor
a criminal offense, less serious than a felony, punishable by a prion sentence of one year or less
Principal
the person who commits a crime
Accomplice
a person who voluntarily helps another person commit a crime; unlike an accessory, an accomplice is usually present or directly aids in the crime
Accessory before the fact
a person who helps commit a crime but usually is not present. One who encourages, orders, or helps plan a crime.
Accessory after the fact
a person who helps commit a crime but usually is not present. Someone who, knowing a crime has been committed, helps conceal the crime or the criminal
Crime of omission
failing to perform an act required by criminal law
Solicitation
the act of requesting or strongly urging someone to do something. If the request is to do something illegal, solicitation is considered a crime
Attempt
an effort to commit a crime that goes beyond mere preparation but does not result in the commission of the crime
Conspiracy
an agreement between two or more persons to commit a crime along with a substantial act toward committing the crime
Misprision of felony
federal crime, punishable by up to three years in prison, for not providing the government with information a person knows regarding the commission of another crime
Overt
open, clear (For example, an overt act in criminal law is more than mere preparation to do something; it is at least the first step of actually attempting the crime)
crime
an act or failure to act that violates a law and for which a government has set a penalty (usually a fine, jail, or probation)