Mens rea and inchoate crimes.

I. Introduction

When a defendant engages in proscribed conduct or in conduct

that brings about a forbidden result, our interest focuses on his state

of mind at the time he engages in the proscribed conduct or the

conduct that causes the result. We usually are unconcerned with his

state(s) of mind in the period leading up to the conduct. The

narrative of the crime can begin as late as the moment defendant engages

in the conduct (or, in the case of completed attempts,(1) believes he is

engaging in the conduct).…