What defines specific intent in criminal law?

• A. Awareness of what one is doing and having a criminal objective in mind at the time of the prohibited act.
• B. The knowing, voluntary doing of an act that is prohibited.
• C. There is no mental state required.
• D. The act is completed upon performing the prohibited act with no further proof.

Answer: (A)

Specific intent means the offender has a deliberate purpose to bring about a particular result in addition to committing the act itself. It’s not enough to simply perform the prohibited act; there must be awareness of what one is doing and a criminal objective in mind at the time. That combination—knowing what you’re doing and intending a specific illegal outcome—defines specific intent.

This is different from general intent, which focuses on the act itself—the intention to perform the act, without necessarily aiming for a particular criminal result. It’s also not a strict liability situation, where no mental state is required at all.

For example, crimes that require specific intent include those where the defendant must intend to cause a particular result (like stealing with the purpose of permanently depriving the owner, or planning to commit a felony inside a structure). Mental state is a key element prosecutors must prove to convict under these offenses.

So the best description is the idea that specific intent involves both awareness of the act and a planned criminal objective at the moment of the act.