Worksheet: Definitions of Key Common Law Crimes

Common law treatise writers (and criminal law professors) often tried to sort common law crimes into precise categories based on their required mental states. The most notable of these categories were "specific intent" and "general intent." Unfortunately (especially for generations of law students), these categories have proven to be more confusing than helpful. 

Try not to be confused by these terms. Instead, focus on learning the actual definitions of the common law crimes, the mental state required for each, and what happens when a defendant claims facual mistake. Fortunately, there are not many common law crimes, so you should be able to memorize them (as you will need to do for the bar exam).