New York statute
N.Y. Penal Law § 15.00 — Culpability; definitions of terms
Current through 2026 legislative session (LBDC text via OpenLegislation as of 2026-07-17)
Part of Article 15: Culpability, New York Penal Law.
Full text of N.Y. Penal Law § 15.00
Statutory text current through the 2026 legislative session (LBDC text via OpenLegislation as of 2026-07-17). This publication reproduces the text of the Consolidated Laws of New York as provided by the New York State Senate's Open Legislation service (Legislative Bill Drafting Commission statutory text); it is not the official statutes of the State of New York.
15.00 Culpability; definitions of terms.
The following definitions are applicable to this chapter:
1. "Act" means a bodily movement.
2. "Voluntary act" means a bodily movement performed consciously as a
result of effort or determination, and includes the possession of
property if the actor was aware of his physical possession or control
thereof for a sufficient period to have been able to terminate it.
3. "Omission" means a failure to perform an act as to which a duty of
performance is imposed by law.
4. "Conduct" means an act or omission and its accompanying mental
state.
5. "To act" means either to perform an act or to omit to perform an
act.
6. "Culpable mental state" means "intentionally" or "knowingly" or
"recklessly" or with "criminal negligence," as these terms are defined
in section 15.05.
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