ADJUS-121 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Model Penal Code

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Ignorance or mistake of fact or law. When defendant makes a mistake as to a fact found in the definition of the crime, he may be found not to possess the required mental state for a conviction. Traditional approach developed rules for mistake of fact defense: If the crime required specific intent, a mistake as to a critical element of the crime was a defense, and it didn"t matter if the mistake was reasonable or not. If the crime required malice or recklessness, a mistake to a critical fact was a defense only if it were reasonable. Mistake of fact is no defense in a strict liability crime. Under the model penal code, mistake of fact becomes an issue when considering whether or not the defendant had the required mental state for conviction. State v. sexton (n. j. 1999): defendant"s conviction for reckless manslaughter was overturned by an appeals court, a ruling that was affirmed by the state"s supreme court.

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