Why Do Courts Not Allow a Mistake of Fact to Be

question 84

Short Answer

Why do courts not allow a mistake of fact to be asserted as a defense to a general-intent crime unless the mistake is one that a reasonable person would make?

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Definitions:

Biopiracy

Unauthorized appropriation of traditional biological and genetic knowledge, resources, and practices of indigenous peoples.

Indigenous Areas

Regions historically inhabited and recognized as the ancestral lands of indigenous peoples, often characterized by specific legal and social recognition.

Commerce Clause

A provision in the United States Constitution that grants Congress the power to regulate commerce with foreign nations, among the states, and with Indian tribes.

Interstate Commerce

Economic activities or transactions that cross state boundaries or have effects across state lines, regulated by the federal government.