Legal Definitions - single-impulse plan

A single-impulse plan, 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 the theft involves essentially one continuous act or if control over the property is exercised simultaneously, it is considered one act of larceny.

For example, if a thief breaks into a house and steals a television, a laptop, and a camera, it is 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 with different intentions, it would be considered multiple acts of larceny.

The intent of the thief determines the number of occurrences. This principle is also known as the single-larceny rule or the single-criminal-intent doctrine.