Arkansas Code of 1987 (2024)
Title 5 - CRIMINAL OFFENSES (§§ 5-1-101 — 5-79-101)
Subtitle 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS (§§ 5-1-101 — 5-5-501)
Chapter 2 - PRINCIPLES OF CRIMINAL LIABILITY (§§ 5-2-201 — 5-2-622)
Subchapter 2 - CULPABILITY (§§ 5-2-201 — 5-2-210)
Section 5-2-202 - Culpable mental states - Definitions

As used in the Arkansas Criminal Code, there are four (4) kinds of culpable mental states that are defined as follows:

• (1)"Purposely." A person acts purposely with respect to his or her conduct or a result of his or her conduct when it is the person's conscious object to engage in conduct of that nature or to cause the result;

• (2)"Knowingly." A person acts knowingly with respect to:
  • (A) The person's conduct or the attendant circumstances when he or she is aware that his or her conduct is of that nature or that the attendant circumstances exist; or
  • (B) A result of the person's conduct when he or she is aware that it is practically certain that his or her conduct will cause the result;

• (3)"Recklessly."
  • (A) A person acts recklessly with respect to attendant circumstances or a result of his or her conduct when the person consciously disregards a substantial and unjustifiable risk that the attendant circumstances exist or the result will occur.
  • (B) The risk must be of a nature and degree that disregard of the risk constitutes a gross deviation from the standard of care that a reasonable person would observe in the actor's situation; and

• (4)"Negligently."
  • (A) A person acts negligently with respect to attendant circumstances or a result of his or her conduct when the person should be aware of a substantial and unjustifiable risk that the attendant circumstances exist or the result will occur.
  • (B) The risk must be of such a nature and degree that the actor's failure to perceive the risk involves a gross deviation from the standard of care that a reasonable person would observe in the actor's situation considering the nature and purpose of the actor's conduct and the circumstances known to the actor.

Acts 1975, No. 280, § 203; A.S.A. 1947, § 41-203.