What is an inchoate offense?

• A. An attempted criminal act when the act was not completed
• B. A completed crime
• C. A crime that lacks intent
• D. A crime committed by a minor

Answer: (A)

An inchoate offense is a crime that involves intent to commit a crime and some step toward carrying it out, but the final act isn’t completed. The key idea is that the offender has the purpose to commit harm and has begun taking steps toward that harm, even though the actual offense never comes to fruition. This is why an attempted crime—where the act is begun but not finished—fits this category. Examples include trying to commit murder, soliciting someone to commit a crime, or agreeing with others to commit a crime (conspiracy), where the crime itself doesn’t end up occurring.

So the scenario described—an attempted criminal act when the act was not completed—best captures the essence of inchoate offenses. A completed crime isn’t inchoate; lacking intent describes a different situation where the mental state isn’t present, and a crime by a minor concerns age, not the unfinished nature of the act.