Transferred intent

Definition
1  : intent attributed to a person who intends to cause another harm when the harm is accidentally inflicted on an unintended victim
2  : a doctrine in tort and criminal law: a wrongdoer who causes harm to a person other than the one intended may nevertheless be held to have intended the harmful result
2 a  : See also intendment
see also legislative intent
b  : the purpose of a document (as a contract or will)
c  : the aim or goal of a person in creating a document or taking an action <the court's attempt to fulfill the donor's ~> <the ~ of the contracting parties implied by their language>
see also original intent
: with the intent to commit another sometimes specified crime <entered the apartment with intent to commit theft therein> <a drug dealer charged with possession with intent>



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Based on Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law ©2001.
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