Ignorance of the law is not a defense to criminal liability.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. True only for felonies
• D. True if the person relied on a non-binding opinion.

Answer: (A)

Ignorance of the law is not a defense to criminal liability means that simply not knowing what the law prohibits does not excuse someone from being charged or found guilty for violating it. In criminal cases, liability usually rests on proof of the prohibited conduct and, for many offenses, the appropriate mental state, not on whether the person knew the law. This rule prevents people from escaping responsibility by claiming they were unaware that a statute existed. There are only narrow exceptions: if knowledge of the law is itself an element of the offense, or in very limited cases where a defendant can show they reasonably relied on an official interpretation of the law; relying on a non-binding opinion, however, does not create a defense. So the statement is true.