The following is a list of important Criminal Law terms (A through C) and their definitions.
Abortion: result when one causes the miscarriage of a woman after the fetus has quickened, after the woman has felt, or could have felt, the child alive while inside her.
- causes the miscarriage
- fetus has quickened
Accessory: one who with knowledge does counsel, command, encourage, or aid in the perpetration of a crime.
- with knowledge
- counsel, command, encourage, aid
- in perpetration of crime
Accessory After the Fact: one who is not the perpetrator but who, with knowledge that the crime as actually committed, aids the felon in avoiding arrest, conviction, or punishment.
- not the perpetrator
- with knowledge that crime was committed
- aids felon
- in avoiding arrest, conviction, or punishment
Actual Cause of Cause in Fact: that cause which starts, ignites or makes possible the act which follows and is determined by the “but for” test.
- cause which starts,
- ignites,
- or makes possible the act which follows
Actus Reus: the overt act
Affray: mutual fight in a public place
- mutual fight
- public place
Arson: malicious burning of the dwelling house of another
- malicious burning
- dwelling house of another
Assault: intentional threatening of another with a battery and the creating of apprehension of immediate bodily harm in the victim.
- intentional
- threatening with battery
- creating of apprehension
- of immediate bodily harm
Attempt: occurs when criminal intent becomes accompanied by an act which comes within close proximity of committing a crime.
- criminal intent
- accompanied by act
- close proximity of committing a crime
Battery: intentional and unlawful, harmful or offensive touching of the person of another
- intentional
- unlawful, harmful, or offensive touching
- of the person
- of another
Bestiality: sodomy that involves copulation with a beast that involves either a man or woman.
- sodomy
- copulation with beast
Blackmail: unlawful extraction or communication for extraction of money or other valuables by means of a threat not sufficient for robbery.
- unlawful extraction or communication for extraction
- money or other valuables
- threat
Breach of Peace: can result from any willful act which unreasonably disturbs the public peace
- willful act
- unreasonably disturbs public peace
Bribery: corrupt payment or receipt of private consideration for official action
- corrupt payment or receipt
- for official action
Buggery: sodomy that involves anal copulation by a man with another man or with a woman.
- sodomy
- anal copulation
- by a man
- another man or woman
Burglary: breaking and entering of the dwelling house of another at night with the intent to commit a felony.
- breaking and entering
- dwelling house of another
- at night
- intent to commit a felony
Compounding the Crime: acceptance of anything of value under an unlawful agreement not to prosecute a known offender, or to limit or to otherwise hinder the prosecution of his case.
- acceptance of anything of value
- under an unlawful agreement not to prosecute known offender
- OR limit or hinder prosecution of his case
Conspiracy: results from a combination of two or more persons in an agreement to accomplish a criminal or unlawful act or to do a lawful act by criminal or unlawful means.
- two or more persons
- agreement to accomplish criminal or unlawful act
- OR do a lawful act by criminal or unlawful means
Constructive Presence: occurs if one is so situated as to give assistance to the perpetrator.
- situated to give assistance to perpetrator
Corpus Delicti: body of the crime, meaning the prima facie case or elements of the crime.
- prima facie case
- elements of the crime