Which statement best defines criminal negligence?

Which statement best defines criminal negligence?

• A. Fails to perceive a substantial and unjustifiable risk that such result will occur, to a degree that constitutes a gross deviation from the standard of care.
• B. Intentional act to cause harm.
• C. Strict liability without regard to awareness.
• D. A defense based on intoxication reducing the offender's mental state.

Answer: (B)

Criminal negligence focuses on how a person handles risk. It occurs when someone fails to perceive a substantial and unjustifiable risk that their actions could cause a harmful result, and this failure amounts to a gross deviation from the standard of care a reasonable person would observe. This means there’s no requirement of intent to harm; the key is the gross disregard for risk. It differs from intentional harm, which involves a conscious purpose to cause injury, from strict liability offenses, which punish regardless of mental state, and from intoxication defenses, which concern whether the person could appreciate risk. So the statement describing a failure to perceive a substantial and unjustifiable risk to a degree that grossly deviates from the standard of care best defines criminal negligence.