People v Atkins Case Brief Summary Law Case Explained

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Get more case briefs explained with Quimbee. Quimbee has over 16,300 case briefs (and counting) keyed to 223 casebooks ► https://www.quimbee.com/case-briefs-o... • People v. Atkins | 18 P.3d 660 (2001) • The distinction between general-intent crimes and specific-intent crimes can be confusing, and courts’ treatment of the question can be inconsistent. The interaction between mens rea, or the suspect’s state of mind, and intoxication or drug use can make the issue even more complicated. The California Supreme Court considered intoxication and mens rea in People versus Atkins. • Robert Atkins hated Orville Figgs. One day, Atkins told his friends he was going to burn Figgs’s house down. The next day, a fire erupted in the canyon where Figgs lived. • The fire marshal identified the fire’s place of origin, smelled a combination of oil and gasoline known as chainsaw mix, and took a soil sample, which later tested positive for the presence of gasoline. The marshal also found Atkins’s wallet nearby. The marshal interviewed Atkins, who said he and his brother had been drinking, then drove to the canyon and continued drinking. Atkins admitted setting the fire in order to clear out overgrown weeds. Atkins claimed the fire spread out of control, that he and his brother had unsuccessfully tried to extinguish it, and that they’d panicked and fled. Atkins claimed that the fire was an accident. • Atkins was charged with arson of forest land. The trial judge instructed the jury that arson was a general-intent crime, and that voluntary intoxication wasn’t a defense. The jury convicted Atkins as charged. The court of appeals reversed, holding that arson was a specific-intent crime, and that voluntary intoxication could deprive Atkins of the mental state necessary to commit the offense. The California Supreme Court agreed to consider the prosecution’s appeal. • Want more details on this case? Get the rule of law, issues, holding and reasonings, and more case facts here: https://www.quimbee.com/cases/people-... • The Quimbee App features over 16,300 case briefs keyed to 223 casebooks. Try it free for 7 days! ► https://www.quimbee.com/case-briefs-o... • Have Questions about this Case? Submit your questions and get answers from a real attorney here: https://www.quimbee.com/cases/people-... • Did we just become best friends? Stay connected to Quimbee here: Subscribe to our YouTube Channel ► https://www.youtube.com/subscription_... • Quimbee Case Brief App ► https://www.quimbee.com/case-briefs-o... • Facebook ► / quimbeedotcom • Twitter ► / quimbeedotcom • #casebriefs #lawcases #casesummaries

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