Legal Definitions - felonious intent

Felonious intent refers to the specific mental state required to commit a felony, which is a serious crime. It means that an individual deliberately and purposefully intended to engage in conduct that constitutes a felony, or intended to cause a result that is a felony. This intent is a crucial element that prosecutors must prove to secure a conviction for a serious offense, distinguishing it from lesser crimes or accidental acts.

Here are some examples illustrating felonious intent:

• Example 1: Burglary

  A person spends weeks planning to break into a high-end electronics store after closing hours. They acquire specialized tools, disable the alarm system, and enter the store with the express purpose of stealing valuable computers and gaming consoles. Their actions, from the meticulous planning to the execution of the break-in, demonstrate felonious intent because they deliberately intended to commit burglary, a felony that involves unlawfully entering a building with the intent to commit a crime inside.

• Example 2: Aggravated Assault

  During a heated argument, one individual picks up a heavy metal pipe and, with clear anger and determination, swings it directly at another person's head, aiming to cause severe injury. This action illustrates felonious intent because the individual purposefully used a dangerous weapon with the specific aim of inflicting serious bodily harm, which elevates the crime to aggravated assault—a felony—as opposed to a simple assault where the intent might be less severe or the weapon not as dangerous.

• Example 3: Arson

  An individual, seeking revenge against a former employer, purchases several gallons of gasoline, drives to the employer's business late at night, and intentionally douses a section of the building before igniting it with a match. The individual's deliberate act of setting fire to the building with the purpose of destroying it demonstrates felonious intent. Arson is a serious felony, and the individual's actions clearly show they intended to commit the elements of that serious crime.