Sentence examples for guilty state of mind from inspiring English sources
For most familiar crimes (murder, robbery, rape, arson), the law requires that the actor have some guilty state of mind, whether it is intent, recklessness or negligence.
No other punishment philosophy gives so much importance to actus reus (a guilty act) and mens rea (a guilty state of mind).
But when a second jury swiftly reached a guilty verdict yesterday, it was after focusing principally on Mr. Goldstein's state of mind during the few seconds it took him to throw the woman, Kendra Webdale, to the tracks.
But he requested an independent inquiry into Pistorius' state of mind, based on concern the defense would argue Pistorius was not guilty because of mental illness.
Mr. Keker said, "The law is if the government has not proved the person's state of mind sufficient to meet the elements of the crime, then he is not guilty".
Hatch has proposed legislation to provide a default mens rea — literally, "guilty mind" — standard to govern cases in which a particular statute doesn't spell out the required state of mind: The defendant would have to have engaged in a criminal act "willfully" in order to be prosecuted.
There is nothing novel about the law taking into account a criminal's state of mind; one of the prerequisites for a conviction under common law is "mens rea" — a guilty mind, malice aforethought, criminal intent.
