§ 20 Crime Requires Act And Intent

Penal Code·California

AI SummaryVerified

This law says you can only be punished for a crime if you did something wrong on purpose, by accident in a really careless way, or if you meant to do it.

Key Takeaways

•You can’t be punished for a crime if you didn’t mean to do it and weren’t being careless.
•If you do something bad on purpose, you can be punished.
•Even if you didn’t mean to hurt anyone, you can still be punished if you were being really careless.

Example

If someone is texting while driving and causes a car crash, they can be punished because they were being very careless.

The law applies because the person wasn’t paying attention, which is a kind of criminal negligence.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source

View on CA.gov

§ 20 Crime Requires Act And Intent

PENAL CODE - PEN PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS ( Preliminary Provisions enacted 1872. ) 20. In every crime or public offense there must exist a union, or joint operation of act and intent, or criminal negligence. (Enacted 1872.)

Last verified: January 9, 2026

Key Terms

crime public offense union joint operation act intent criminal negligence

References

Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
California Legislature. Penal Code. Section 20.

Key Takeaways

Example

Key Terms

Related Statutes

References

Key Takeaways

Example

Key Terms

Related Statutes

References