Intent

Massachusetts criminal law defines intent as a person's purpose or objective.  When a jury is asked to deliberate whether or not the defendant committed a crime where "intent" must be proven, they are instructed that it is reasonable to infer that a person ordinarily intends the natural and probable consequences of any acts that he does intentionally.

On the issue of intent, the jury is asked to consider any direct and circumstantial evidence brought up during the trial, as well as any reasonable inferences they may choose to draw from that evidence.  Whether the defendant acted "intentionally" means that he acted voluntarily and deliberately, and not due to accident or negligence.  In other words, the jury must be convinced, not that the defendant knew that he was breaking the law, but that he intended the act which constituted the criminal offense to occur.

Boston Criminal Lawyer Lefteris K. Travayiakis has extensive experience in defending persons charged with Crimes of Violence, Theft Crimes, Guns / Firearms Crimes, Drug Crimes, and OUI/DUI.

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