California, United States of America
The following excerpt is from People v. Thlang, C089529 (Cal. App. 2020):
person who knowingly aids and abets criminal conduct is guilty of not only the intended crime [target offense] but also of any other crime the perpetrator actually commits [nontarget offense] that is a natural and probable consequence of the intended crime." ' " (People v. Chiu (2014) 59 Cal.4th 155, 161.) " 'Because the nontarget offense is unintended, the mens rea of the aider and abettor with respect to that offense is irrelevant and culpability is imposed simply because a reasonable person could have foreseen the commission of the nontarget crime.' " (Id. at p. 164.) As defendant notes, the jury instructions allowed him to be convicted of murder under the natural and probable consequences doctrine with shooting from a motor vehicle or the lesser offense of assault with a firearm as the target crime.
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