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N.Y. PEN Law § 15.05

This is the official text of N.Y. PEN Law § 15.05, part of New York’s Penal Law — defines crimes and punishments in New York.

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Culpability; definitions of culpable mental states

Official statutory text

§ 15.05 Culpability; definitions of culpable mental states.\n The following definitions are applicable to this chapter:\n 1. "Intentionally." A person acts intentionally with respect to a\nresult or to conduct described by a statute defining an offense when his\nconscious objective is to cause such result or to engage in such\nconduct.\n 2. "Knowingly." A person acts knowingly with respect to conduct or to\na circumstance described by a statute defining an offense when he is\naware that his conduct is of such nature or that such circumstance\nexists.\n 3. "Recklessly." A person acts recklessly with respect to a result or\nto a circumstance described by a statute defining an offense when he is\naware of and consciously disregards a substantial and unjustifiable risk\nthat such result will occur or that such circumstance exists. The risk\nmust be of such nature and degree that disregard thereof constitutes a\ngross deviation from the standard of conduct that a reasonable person\nwould observe in the situation. A person who creates such a risk but is\nunaware thereof solely by reason of voluntary intoxication also acts\nrecklessly with respect thereto.\n 4. "Criminal negligence." A person acts with criminal negligence with\nrespect to a result or to a circumstance described by a statute defining\nan offense when he fails to perceive a substantial and unjustifiable\nrisk that such result will occur or that such circumstance exists. The\nrisk must be of such nature and degree that the failure to perceive it\nconstitutes a gross deviation from the standard of care that a\nreasonable person would observe in the situation.\n

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