Transferred Intent

The legal doctrine of transferred intent can be applied to criminal situations and used in much the same way as it would be in tort cases. Under this doctrine, you can be charged for harming someone other than your intended target. Your intent to harm the initial, planned victim will be transferred into intent to harm the new victim.

Sometimes, transferred intent is explained in the most basic terms as “intent follows the bullet.” For example, if you were intending to shoot a man walking down the street, but missed and instead hit and killed the person next to him, then you will be charged with murder. Even though you did not mean to hit the intended target, your intentions were still to kill and you will be charged with murder.

Transferred intent is not applicable, however, in situations where the actual crime committed is different from the original, intended one. For example, if you were aiming at the man on the street, but missed and instead hit a parked car, then you cannot be held criminally liable for the damage done to the car. Because killing a person and shattering the glass of a car are two very different acts, transferred intent will not be applied.

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If you have been accused of a crime, then you will need a strong and experienced lawyer to represent you in court. Contact the Las Vegas criminal lawyers of Palmer & Associates, P.C. at 702-888-2222 to explore your legal options and begin forming your defense today.