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Simple English definitions for legal terms
corrupt-motive doctrine
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A quick definition of corrupt-motive doctrine:
The corrupt-motive doctrine is a rule in criminal law that says a conspiracy is only punishable if the agreement was made with a bad intention, not just with the intention to do something illegal. This means that if people plan to do something illegal but don't have a bad motive, they may not be punished for conspiracy. The idea comes from a court case called People v. Powell in 1875, but it is not used in the Model Penal Code.
A more thorough explanation:
The corrupt-motive doctrine is a rule in criminal law that states that a conspiracy is only punishable if the agreement was made with an evil purpose, not just with the intention to commit an illegal act.
For example, if two people plan to rob a bank, but one of them has a corrupt motive, such as wanting to harm someone inside the bank, then both individuals can be charged with conspiracy. However, if both individuals only intended to rob the bank for financial gain, then only the act of robbery can be punished, not the conspiracy.
The corrupt-motive doctrine was first established in the case of People v. Powell in 1875. However, it has since been rejected by the Model Penal Code, which does not require proof of a corrupt motive for conspiracy charges.