A man, during a heated argument with his neighbor, swung a baseball bat aiming at the neighbor’s leg. The swing caused the neighbor to suffer a severe injury requiring medical attention. What mental state is most applicable to the man’s actions?
The correct answer is specific intent to injure because the man’s action involved a deliberate and purposeful attempt to cause harm to another person. His targeted action demonstrates that his aim was to inflict harm, specifically to the neighbor’s leg, qualifying as intent to injure. Other potential mental states, such as recklessness or negligence, would require less direct and deliberate actions to harm. General intent, while broad, does not require the purposeful aim to injure seen here.
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How does recklessness differ from specific intent?
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What are the elements required to establish negligence?