Discussion Board - Actus Reus and Voluntary Acts

300 words minimum

This week in the textbook we learned about Actus Reus and voluntary acts. Of course, there are those defendants that would try to claim that the act they committed was not voluntary, caused by some intervening or superseding extraneous force (the dog bumped me and my trigger finger pulled the gun).

A. Compare and Contrast: In the context of the voluntary act and actus reus define and discuss: 1. voluntariness and the meaning of actus reus, and 2. using this case discuss epiliepsy and the meaning of a voluntary act during an epileptic seizure as presented in Brown v. State which can be found in the text.  Here is the link to that case: http://www.leagle.com/decision/In%20TXCO%2020130131765

Or you can use this Brown v. State case which involves voluntariness of shooting a weapon but in a different context: http://caselaw.findlaw.com/tx-court-of-criminal-appeals/1215150.html

B.  Does Illinois law have any sections that address epilepsy and driving?  How can the state approve someone to drive when medically they are prone to involuntary acts?  This would be a place to use the Illinois Compiled Statutes and an illustrative case.  

Don't be shy -- go for it this week and make it interesting...

Don't forget to:
Define the legal issue
Apply the rule to the facts or cases
Analyze what the correct result may be and/or synthesize the rule through application to additional cases.