California · Penal Code

PEN §29.2: (a) The intent or intention is manifested by the circumstances connected with the offense.

Civil

What this law says, in plain English

This statute addresses how criminal intent is proven and restricts admissibility of evidence about lack of capacity to control conduct in determining whether a defendant had the required mental state for a crime.

Read the full statutory text

(a) The intent or intention is manifested by the circumstances connected with the offense. (b) In the guilt phase of a criminal action or a juvenile adjudication hearing, evidence that the accused lacked the capacity or ability to control his or her conduct for any reason shall not be admissible on the issue of whether the accused actually had any mental state with respect to the commission of any crime. This subdivision is not applicable to Section 26.

Verify at the official source: California legislative text

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.