- mens rea
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mens rea /'menz-'rē-ə, -'rā-/ n pl men·tes re·ae /'men-ˌtēz-'rē-ˌē, 'men-ˌtās-'rā-ˌī/ [New Latin, literally, guilty mind]: a culpable mental state; esp: one involving intent or knowledge and forming an element of a criminal offense
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.
- mens rea
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noun
criminal design, criminal guilt, criminal intent, criminal purpose, criminality, culpability, vice, wrong, wrongdoing
Burton's Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006
- mens rea
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n.The mental state that occurs when committing a crime, i.e., guilt, criminal intent, or knowledge that a crime is being committed; one of the four mental states in which a crime may be committed, i.e., intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, or negligently.
The Essential Law Dictionary. — Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. Amy Hackney Blackwell. 2008.
- mens rea
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'guilty mind', the term used to describe the mental element required to constitute a crime. Generally it requires that the accused meant or intended to do wrong or at least knew he was doing wrong. The precise element varies from crime to crime.
Collins dictionary of law. W. J. Stewart. 2001.
- mens rea
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(menz-ray-ah) The mental component of criminal liability. To be guilty of most crimes, a defendant must have committed the criminal act in a certain mental state (the mens rea). The mens rea of robbery, for example, is the intent to permanently deprive the owner of his property. Compare: actus reusCategory: Criminal LawCategory: Small Claims Court & Lawsuits
Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary. Gerald N. Hill, Kathleen Thompson Hill. 2009.
- mens rea
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n. Latin The defendant's guilty state of mind, as an element in proving the crime with which he or she is charged.
Webster's New World Law Dictionary. Susan Ellis Wild. 2000.
- mens rea
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As an element of criminal responsibility, a guilty mind; a guilty or wrongful purpose; a criminal intent. Guilty knowledge and willfulness.
Dictionary from West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005.
- mens rea
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I
As an element of criminal responsibility, a guilty mind; a guilty or wrongful purpose; a criminal intent. Guilty knowledge and wilfulness.II The "guilty mind" necessary to establish criminal responsibility.
Short Dictionary of (mostly American) Legal Terms and Abbreviations.