Which of the following is a general intent crime?

• A. Battery
• B. Kidnapping
• C. False imprisonment
• D. Sexual assault

Answer: (A)

General intent crimes require only the actor’s intent to perform the prohibited act, with no need to prove a further purpose or motive. Battery fits this pattern because the offense is committed by intentionally touching another person in a harmful or offensive way. The key element is the intentional contact itself; the crime does not require proof that the defendant intended to cause a specific harm or to achieve a particular objective beyond the contact.

The other options typically involve additional requirements beyond mere intent to touch. False imprisonment centers on unlawfully restraining a person’s liberty, which adds the element of confinement. Kidnapping usually requires asportation or movement of a person for a purpose (often with a separate objective), introducing an extra aim beyond simple touching. Sexual assault involves intentional sexual contact, which adds a sexual objective to the act. Because these involve extra elements beyond the basic act of contact, they are not classic general-intent crimes in the same way battery is.