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

• A. True
• B. False
• C. True only for misdemeanors
• D. True if reliance on a statute interpretation

Answer: (A)

Ignorance of the law is not a defense to criminal liability. In criminal cases, you’re typically charged based on the prohibited conduct and the required mental state, not on whether you knew the law or that your conduct was illegal. This means you can be prosecuted and punished even if you didn’t know a law existed or that your actions violated it. The general rule is that people are presumed to know the law, so lack of knowledge about the law doesn’t excuse criminal behavior.

The idea is supported by the fact that the law aims for uniform enforcement and deterrence; allowing ignorance to excuse would undermine that. There are very narrow, rare situations involving specific statutes or official interpretations where a defendant’s reliance on an interpretation could matter, but these are exceptional and not the norm. Thus, the statement is true for criminal liability in general, covering all offenses, not just misdemeanors.