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Attempted Battery Assault in D.C. is a “Specific Intent” Offense

Jamison Koehler Assault, Legal Concepts/Principles, Opinions/Cases

In law school and in preparing for the Bar Exam, we were taught the distinction between general intent and specific intent crimes. If it is a general intent offense, the government must prove only that the defendant intended to take the physical action that resulted in the harm; that is, that the defendant’s actions were not the result of a …