- malice aforethought
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Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.
- malice aforethought
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n.A state of mind in which a person deliberately plans to commit a crime before actually performing it, characterized by cruelty and a disregard for the consequences to human life and social duties.
The Essential Law Dictionary. — Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. Amy Hackney Blackwell. 2008.
- malice aforethought
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The state of mind necessary to prove first-degree murder. The prosecution must prove that the defendant intended to cause death or great bodily harm, or exhibited extreme and reckless indifference to the value of life. Any intentional killing that does not involve justification, excuse, or mitigation is a killing with malice aforethought.Category: Criminal LawCategory: Small Claims Court & Lawsuits
Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary. Gerald N. Hill, Kathleen Thompson Hill. 2009.
- malice aforethought
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n. The requisite state of mind for murder to be charged under the common law, involving an intent to kill or to cause serious physical harm, depraved indifference to human life, or an intent to commit another serious felony that results in a death.
Webster's New World Law Dictionary. Susan Ellis Wild. 2000.
- malice aforethought
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A predetermination to commit an act without legal justification or excuse.A malicious design to injure. An intent, at the time of a killing, willfully to take the life of a human being, or an intent willfully to act in callous and wanton disregard of the consequences to human life; but malice aforethought does not necessarily imply any ill will, spite or hatred towards the individual killed.
Dictionary from West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005.
- malice aforethought
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A predetermination to commit an act without legal justification or excuse.A malicious design to injure. An intent, at the time of a killing, willfully to take the life of a human being, or an intent willfully to act in callous and wanton disregard of the consequences to human life; but malice aforethought does not necessarily imply any ill will, spite or hatred towards the individual killed.
Short Dictionary of (mostly American) Legal Terms and Abbreviations.
- malice aforethought
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n.1) the conscious intent to cause death or great bodily harm to another person before a person commits the crime. Such malice is a required element to prove first degree murder.2) a general evil and depraved state of mind in which the person is unconcerned for the lives of others. Thus, if a person uses a gun to hold up a bank and an innocent bystander is killed in a shoot-out with police, there is malice aforethought.
Law dictionary. EdwART. 2013.