Thought Crimes in History?

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In many jurisdictions, the state of mind of the perpetrator may affect the punishment for a crime, or even if an act constitutes a crime. The old Latin term is mens rea.

Killing in self-defense is a good example. It is no crime if the perpetrator acted in the genuine belief that he or she was under attack, but it is a crime if the perpetrator did not think so. Of course the court cannot read minds, so it will look at "reasonable man" standards or other evidence to discern the state of mind. Still, the intent is to punish actions for the wrong motives.

o.m. 16635

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Source: stackoverflow.com

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