Malice Aforethought (Noun)
Meaning
(law) criminal intent; the thoughts and intentions behind a wrongful act (including knowledge that the act is illegal); often at issue in murder trials.
Classification
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents.
Examples
- The prosecution will have a hard time proving malice aforethought, as the defendant claims it was a crime of passion.
- The jury must consider whether the defendant acted with malice aforethought when they fired the shot that killed the victim.
- To obtain a conviction for first-degree murder, it must be proven that the perpetrator acted with malice aforethought and deliberately killed the victim.
- The defense argued that the defendant had not acted with malice aforethought, as there was no prior history of violence between the accused and the victim.
- Expert testimony was called in to help the court determine whether the defendant had formed the premeditated intent necessary to demonstrate malice aforethought.