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People v. Hernandez

Citations

  • 61 Cal. 2d 529
  • 393 P.2d 673
  • 8 A.L.R. 3d 1092
  • 39 Cal. Rptr. 361
  • 1964 Cal. LEXIS 228

How courts have described this case

Verbatim parenthetical descriptions written by other courts when citing this decision. Ranked by citation-network relevance.

  • ruling that reasonable mistake that victim is eighteen or more years old is defense to charge of statutory rape, on ground that intent requirement for serious crimes must be presumed in absence of legislative statement to contrary
  • recognizing universal rule that conduct cannot be criminal unless the accused was conscious of some wrongdoing
  • recognizing universal rule that conduct cannot be criminal unless the accused was conscious of some wrongdoing
  • holding it reversible error to preclude defendant in statutory rape case from introducing evidence “that he had in good faith a reasonable belief that the [victim] was 18 years or more of age”
  • overruling People v. Ratz, 115 Cal. 132, 46 P. 915 (1896) and decisions following it
  • referring to, as lacking criminal intent, the defendant who “has subjectively eliminated the risk [of sex with an underage person] by satisfying himself on reasonable evidence that the crime cannot be committed”

Source: CourtListener parenthetical corpus (CC0).

Judges: Peek

Read full opinion on CourtListener

Cited by

147 cases in this archive cite this case; the 20 most cited are listed.

Cites

6 cases in this archive are cited by this case.

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This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.