Criminal Law Concepts Quiz

Study Notes

An act performed against one’s will is not considered their act.
Crimes are classified into two categories: mala in se (inherently bad) and mala prohibita (prohibited).

Motive refers to the driving force behind an action and is not required to prove a crime.
Intent is the aim to achieve a specific outcome using particular means; it must be demonstrated.

Criminal liability arises from committing a felony, even if the act differs from the intended outcome.
Key concepts include:
- Error in personae: Mistake in identifying the victim.
- Aberratio ictus: Mistake in the intended target.
- Praeter intentionem: Result exceeds the intended consequences.
Three requisites for liability:
- Intentional felony must be established.
- The result must be a direct, natural consequence of the act.
- The felony must be the proximate cause of the injury.

Proximate cause connects an act directly to an injury, unaffected by intervening factors.
Efficient intervening causes break the chain of causality if they lead independently to the injury.

Defined as acts that could have been offenses except for an inherent impossibility or inadequate means.

Distinction between actions:
- Principals: Consummated (0), Frustrated (1), Attempted (2).
- Accomplices: Consummated (1), Frustrated (2), Attempted (3).
- Accessories: Consummated (2), Frustrated (3), Attempted (4).

Occurs when a single act constitutes multiple felonies or when an offense is essential for committing another.
Two types: compound crime (multiple felonies from one act) and complex crime proper (one offense leads to another).

Defined as a single crime made up of ongoing actions stemming from one criminal decision.

Circumstances encompassing a crime that could affect penalties, particularly when involving an organized group or exploiting public position.

Defined as three convictions of specific crimes within ten years, leading to increased liability.

Methods include:
- Death of the convict.
- Completion of sentence.
- Amnesty (granted for specific political crimes).
- Absolute pardon and expiration of the prosecution time.

Different time limits for various crimes contributing to when prosecution can no longer occur:
- Death and serious crimes (20 years), other afflictive penalties (15 years), correctional crimes (10 years), and lighter offenses down to 2 months.

Includes restitution, reparation for damages, and indemnification for consequential losses.
Modes of extinction per the Civil Code include payment, loss of the item, or release of debt among others.

Understanding these principles is crucial for comprehending the framework of criminal law, liability, and penalties within jurisdictional law systems.