Specific intent is a legal concept used to decide a person’s responsibility in criminal or civil law. It is one of the elements that must be proven when filing a legal case.
Understanding Specific Intent
The intention of the person committing any potential wrong must be proven in order to find a person guilty of a crime or fault. This is done by showing that a person knew exactly what he or she was doing, and fully intended to do what was done. This level of specificity can be hard to prove, so specific intent can oftentimes be the difference between a guilty or a not guilty verdict.
For instance, in the case of battery, judiciary courts would need to prove that the person involved physically located another person, provided contact between them, and intended to cause harm or offensive contact. These three elements must be present for a person to be found guilty.
Types of Specific Intent
There are two types of specific intent: general intent and specific intent. General intent is when a person is aware and conscious of the act they are committing. One example of general intent is if a person opens a store with the knowledge that items in the store are to be sold to customers. Specific intent requires proving that a person fully understood the consequences of their actions. A good example of “specific intent” would be a person setting up a store with the intention to defraud customers, where the person is aware that their actions are considered criminal.
Conclusion
Understanding specific intent is important when dealing with any type of lawsuit or legal claim. As proven intent is key to any such proceedings, a thorough knowledge of what constitutes as specific and general intent can help an attorney support their position in a court of law.