"guilty act" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It refers to an action or behavior that violates the law or moral code and is considered punishable by law. Example: The judge found the accused's guilty act of theft to be a serious offense and sentenced him to five years in prison.
Each of the seven sections of "The Little Friend" explores a guilty act.
He wanted to repeat the incident with out the guilty act.
A fundamental principle of criminal law, Mr. Sullivan said, is "the confluence of a guilty mind and a guilty act".
Lipstick on a collar, a reappearing bloodstain – the physical evidence of a guilty act has turned many a plot.
No other punishment philosophy gives so much importance to actus reus (a guilty act) and mens rea (a guilty state of mind).
And so it was, but that was only part of the story: it is also a gripping adventure yarn, a tale of the nemesis that may lie in store for us if we have ever committed a guilty act, and a delicious character study of an unconventional young woman whose weaknesses (envy, malice, jealousy) only make her all the more charming to the reader.
If the case ever gets to trial, the defense will offer an even more contentious argument: that Nichols, who has pled not guilty, acted out of a "delusional compulsion" (a version of the insanity defense allowed under Georgia law).
In addition, offenders may be punished only for the guilty acts they actually commit; those who plan a murder but succeed only in wounding a victim, for example, should not be punished as harshly as those who actually carry out the murder.
Furthermore, the National Labor Relations Board accused the company of being guilty of acts of violence against fourteen members of the Committee for Industrial Organization on May 26, when Richard Frankensteen, C.I.O.
Some Kurds, such as President Jalal Talabani, have made similar noises, calling for an amnesty for guerrillas who are not guilty of acts of terrorism.
Although Nelson's extramarital affair is stated as fact, the guilty party acts like a devoted, caring husband, and no whys or wherefores are provided.
