Articles Tagged with Pre Trial

Mistake of Law

Mistake of Law is rarely a justifiable pre-trial defense. The Mistake of Law” is when a person knows they committed an act, but they did not know the conduct was against the law. It is different between “Mistake of Fact”. There are few circumstances where “Mistake of Law” is a justifiable defense. Arizona does not accept except ignorance, or lack of knowledge that a particular law exists as a valid defense. This is described under Arizona Law A.R.S. §13-204 (B). Not being aware or having knowledge of the law does not relieve a person of criminal liability. Mistake or lack of knowledge of the law itself, is not itself a justifiable defense

Mistake of Fact