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Flashcards in Causation (Common Law) Deck (20)
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1
Q

to convict defendant of a “result” crime (murder), the prosecution must show defendant acted with necessary mens rea and committed the required acts or acted with necessary attendant circumstances, and also that defendant caused required result (victim’s death)

A

Causation

2
Q

__________ is issue in result crimes

A

Causation

3
Q

_________ issues arise for most part in criminal homicide cases

A

Causation

4
Q

Common law causation analysis has 2 parts

A

(actual cause/cause in fact and proximate cause/legal cause)

5
Q

But for test– a person’s conduct is ______ cause of prohibited result if result would not have occurred but for actor’s conduct.

A

Actual Cause

6
Q

(1) Identify relevant conduct – what are relevant voluntary act(s) committed by defendant? If case based on omission, substitute omission
(2) Question – “but for defendant’s act(s)/omission would social harm (death) have occurred when it did?”

  • If yes – if social harm would have occurred when did even if defendant had not acted, defendant is not actual cause, not guilty
  • If no – if social harm would not have occurred when it did but for defendant’s acts, defendant is actual cause, then move on to proximate cause
A

Steps for determining actual cause

7
Q

person who is actual cause of resulting harm not responsible for harm unless also is _______ (legal) cause of harm

A

Proximate Cause

8
Q

_________ cause identifies potential candidates for legal responsibility for result. _________ cause determines who among candidates should be held accountable (lineup)

A

Actual and Proximate

9
Q

Was there any actual but for cause of result that came into picture after defendant’s voluntary act? If not, defendant was___________of social harm.

A

Direct Cause

10
Q

Intervening cause

Apparent Safety Doctrine

Free, Deliberate, Informed Human Intervention

Intended Consequences Doctrine

De Minimus Cause

Omissions

A

Factors of Causation

11
Q

actual cause of social harm that arises after defendant’s causal contribution to result. Occurs after defendant’s conduct but before result for which defendant is being prosecuted.

A

Intervening cause

12
Q

occurs in response to defendant’s earlier conduct

A

Dependent/responsive cause

13
Q

force that does not occur in response to initial wrongdoer’s conduct

A

Independent/coincidental cause

14
Q

______________ intervening cause does not relieve initial wrongdoer of criminal responsibility unless response was unforeseeable and highly abnormal

A

Dependent/responsive cause

15
Q

Defendant not responsible for _________ intervening cause unless occurrence was foreseeable to reasonable person in defendant’s situation.

A

Independent/coincidental cause

16
Q

Even though defendant created dangerous situation, not responsible for ultimate result if dangerous situation defendant created was over because victim had reached apparent safety. (Dangerous forces have come to rest.)

A

Apparent Safety Doctrine

17
Q

Generally, defendant not proximate cause of result if a free, deliberate, informed act of another person intervenes.
Policy – free will essential in determining responsibility for harm.

A

Free, Deliberate, Informed Human Intervention

18
Q

If an intentional wrongdoer gets what she wanted (the result in the manner she wanted it) she should not escape responsibility even if an unforeseeable event intervenes

A

Intended Consequences Doctrine

19
Q

Generally, the law will not treat a very minor but for cause of harm as legally responsible for the result when there is a far more substantial cause to whom responsibility can be attached.
Some wrongdoers have too minor a causal role to justify criminal punishment.

A

De Minimus Cause

20
Q

An omission will rarely, if ever, supersede an earlier, operative wrongful act

A

Omissions