Battery is generally classified as which type of common law offense?

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Multiple Choice

Battery is generally classified as which type of common law offense?

Explanation:
Battery is a general intent offense: it requires intentional touching of another person in a harmful or offensive way, not a specific goal to cause a particular result. The key is that the actor purposefully performs the act of touching, while the extent of harm is not required to be intended. Specific intent would mean a further objective beyond the touching, which isn’t needed here. Malice isn’t the standard for battery, and strict liability would require no mens rea at all, which battery does not. So the correct classification is general intent.

Battery is a general intent offense: it requires intentional touching of another person in a harmful or offensive way, not a specific goal to cause a particular result. The key is that the actor purposefully performs the act of touching, while the extent of harm is not required to be intended. Specific intent would mean a further objective beyond the touching, which isn’t needed here. Malice isn’t the standard for battery, and strict liability would require no mens rea at all, which battery does not. So the correct classification is general intent.

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