Legal Definitions - single-criminal-intent doctrine

The single-criminal-intent doctrine, also known as the single-larceny doctrine, is a principle in criminal law that states that the taking of different items of property belonging to either the same or different owners at the same time and place constitutes one act of larceny if the theft is part of one larcenous plan. This means that if a thief steals multiple items as part of one continuous act or exercises simultaneous control over the property, it is considered one crime.

For example, if a thief breaks into a house and steals a television, a laptop, and a jewelry box, it would be considered one act of larceny if the thief had the intent to steal all three items as part of one plan. However, if the thief stole the items at different times or had separate intentions for each item, it would be considered multiple acts of larceny.

The intent of the thief determines the number of occurrences, and this principle is also known as the single-impulse plan, single-larceny rule, or single-criminal-intent doctrine.