Any Secret Substance Equals Poison
This trap appears as a wrong-answer choice in 1 active question. Spotting how it is built is the repair: read each example's “why it's attractive” before the “why it's wrong.”
Subject distribution
- Criminal Law1
Example wrong choices
14668_laxative-lies · CRIMINAL_LAW · Choice AYes, only because she acted with premeditation and deliberation.
Why it's attractive
Hannah clearly planned the act in advance — she bought the tablets, crushed them, and chose the timing. It looks like premeditation on the surface.
Why it's wrong
Hannah premeditated an act (putting tablets in coffee) but not a killing. 'Premeditation' for first-degree murder means reflection on the decision to kill, not planning any advance action. Half-truth: she did plan ahead, but the planned act was a prank.
Spot it next time
Gold Key GK-CRIM-HOMICIDE-01: Premeditation for first-degree murder = reflection on the decision to kill, not merely planning any act. The facts say Hannah intended embarrassment, not death.
14668_laxative-lies · CRIMINAL_LAW · Choice BYes, only because she used poison.
Why it's attractive
Hannah secretly put a substance in someone's drink and they died. Students who think 'any hidden harmful-looking substance = poison' will lock onto this choice.
Why it's wrong
OTC sleep-aid tablets are not 'poison' in the statutory sense. Poison means a substance harmful by its nature (arsenic, cyanide). Non-prescription sleep aids in normal doses are medicine, not poison.
Spot it next time
Gold Key GK-CRIM-HOMICIDE-02: Poison means a noxious, harmful-by-nature substance (arsenic, cyanide). OTC medications in normal doses are medicine, not poison. Hannah bought sleep aids at a pharmacy — those aren't poison.
14668_laxative-lies · CRIMINAL_LAW · Choice DYes, both because she used poison and because she acted with premeditation and deliberation.
Why it's attractive
When a student isn't sure whether poison or premeditation alone is sufficient, the 'both' answer looks safer and more comprehensive.
Why it's wrong
Compound of A and B. 'Both poison AND premeditation' fails because neither prong is satisfied. Even if one were, the absence of malice aforethought means no murder to elevate.
Spot it next time
Both prongs fail independently (see A and B recovery). Also: no malice aforethought means there is no murder for these aggravators to elevate. The 'compound' answer is doubly wrong.
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