§702-209 Conditional intent. When a particular intent is necessary to establish an element of an offense, it is immaterial that such intent was conditional unless the condition negatives the harm or evil sought to be prevented by the law prohibiting the offense. [L 1972, c 9, pt of §1]
COMMENTARY ON §702-209
This section provides that when the law requires that a particular intent is necessary to establish an element of an offense, that intent is established notwithstanding its conditional nature, unless the condition negatives the harm or evil sought to be prevented. The section provides for a common sense result, and the cases in which the condition negatives the harm or evil sought to be prevented will not be many; nevertheless the distinction should be stated.
The section can best be illustrated by example. A person accused of burglary would not be excused because the person intended to steal only if no one else was in the building, whereas a person charged with attempted rape, predicated on a preliminary assault, would be excused of that offense if the person intended to effect sexual intercourse only if the mature victim consented. In the latter case, however, the person would, most likely, be guilty of an assault.
Structure Hawaii Revised Statutes
702. General Principles of Penal Liability
702-200 Requirement of voluntary act or voluntary omission. §702-200 Commentary:
702-201 "Voluntary act" defined. §702-201 Commentary:
702-202 Voluntary act includes possession. §702-202 Commentary:
702-203 Penal liability based on an omission. §702-203 Commentary:
702-204 State of mind required. §702-204 Commentary:
702-205 Elements of an offense. §702-205 Commentary:
702-206 Definitions of states of mind. §702-206 Commentary:
702-207 Specified state of mind applies to all elements. §702-207 Commentary:
702-208 Substitutes for negligence, recklessness, and knowledge. §702-208 Commentary:
702-210 Requirement of wilfulness satisfied by acting knowingly. §702-210 Commentary:
702-211 State of mind as determinant of grade or class of a particular offense. §702-211 Commentary:
702-213 Effect of absolute liability in reducing grade of offense to violation. §702-213 Commentary:
702-214 Causal relationship between conduct and result. §702-214 Commentary:
702-216 Reckless or negligent causation; different result from that within the risk.
702-217 Causation in offenses of absolute liability. §702-217 Commentary:
702-218 Ignorance or mistake as a defense. §702-218 Commentary:
702-219 Ignorance or mistake; reduction in grade and class of the offense. §702-219 Commentary:
702-221 Liability for conduct of another. §702-221 Commentary:
702-222 Liability for conduct of another; complicity. §702-222 Commentary:
702-223 Liability for conduct of another; complicity with respect to the result.
702-224 Liability for conduct of another; exemption from complicity. §702-224 Commentary:
702-227 Penal liability of corporations and unincorporated associations. §702-227 Commentary:
702-229 Definitions relating to corporations and unincorporated associations.
702-230 Intoxication. §702-230 Commentary:
702-233 Consent; general. §702-233 Commentary:
702-234 Consent to bodily injury. §702-234 Commentary:
702-235 Ineffective consent. §702-235 Commentary: