Arkansas Code of 1987 (2023) › Title 5 - CRIMINAL OFFENSES (§§ 5-1-101 — 5-79-101) › Subtitle 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS (§§ 5-1-101 — 5-5-501) › Chapter 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS (§§ 5-1-101 — 5-1-125) › Section 5-1-102 - Definitions

As used in the Arkansas Criminal Code:
(1)
"Act" or "action" means the same as defined in §
5-2-201
;
(2)
"Actor" includes, when appropriate, a person who possesses something or who omits to act;
(3)
"Conduct" means the same as defined in §
5-2-201
;
(4)
"Deadly weapon" means:
(A)
A firearm or anything manifestly designed, made, or adapted for the purpose of inflicting death or serious physical injury; or
(B)
Anything that in the manner of its use or intended use is capable of causing death or serious physical injury;
(5)
"Element of the offense" means the conduct, the attendant circumstances, or the result of conduct that:
(A)
Is specified in the definition of the offense;
(B)
Establishes the kind of culpable mental state required for commission of the offense; or
(C)
Negates an excuse or justification for the conduct;
(6)
(A)
"Firearm" means any device designed, made, or adapted to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive or any device readily convertible to that use.
(B)
"Firearm" includes:
(i)
A device described in subdivision (6)(A) of this section that is not loaded or lacks a clip or another component to render it immediately operable; and
(ii)
Components that can readily be assembled into a device described in subdivision (6)(A) of this section;
(7)
"Included offense" means the same as defined in §
5-1-110(b)
;
(8)
(A)
"Knowingly" or an equivalent term such as "knowing", "with knowledge", "willful", or "willfully" means the same as knowingly as defined in §
5-2-202
.
(B)
However, if the statute clearly indicates a legislative intent to require a culpable mental state of "purposely", "willful" or "willfully" means the same as "purposely" defined in §
5-2-202
;
(9)
"Law" includes a statute or court decision;
(10)
"Law enforcement officer" means any public servant vested by law with a duty to maintain public order or to make an arrest for an offense;
(11)
"Negligently" or an equivalent term such as "negligence" or "with negligence" means the same as defined in §
5-2-202
;
(12)
"Omission" or "omit to act" means the same as defined in §
5-2-201
;
(13)
(A)
"Person", "actor", "defendant", "he", "she", "her", or "him" includes:
(i)
Any natural person; and
(ii)
When appropriate, an organization as defined in §
5-2-501
.
(B)
(i)
(a)
As used in §§
5-10-101
-
5-10-105
and
5-4-604
, "person" also includes an unborn child in utero at any stage of development.
(b)
"Unborn child" means offspring of human beings from conception until birth.
(ii)
This subdivision (13)(B) does not apply to:
(a)
An act that causes the death of an unborn child in utero if the act was committed during a legal abortion to which the woman consented, including an abortion performed to remove an ectopic pregnancy or other nonviable pregnancy when the embryo is not going to develop further;
(b)
An act that is committed pursuant to a usual and customary standard of medical practice during diagnostic testing or therapeutic treatment;
(c)
An act that is committed in the course of medical research, experimental medicine, or an act deemed necessary to save the life or preserve the health of the woman;
(d)
Assisted reproduction technology activity, procedure, or treatment; or
(e)
An act occurring before transfer to the uterus of the woman of an embryo created through in vitro fertilization.
(iii)
Nothing in this subdivision (13)(B) shall be construed to allow the charging or conviction of a woman with any criminal offense in the death of her own unborn child in utero;
(14)
"Physical injury" means the:
(A)
Impairment of physical condition;
(B)
Infliction of substantial pain; or
(C)
Infliction of bruising, swelling, or a visible mark associated with physical trauma;
(15)
"Possess" means to exercise actual dominion, control, or management over a tangible object;
(16)
"Public servant" means any:
(A)
Officer or employee of this state or of any political subdivision of this state;
(B)
Person exercising a function of any officer or employee of this state or any political subdivision of this state;
(C)
(i)
Person acting as an adviser, consultant, or otherwise in performing any governmental function.
(ii)
However, this subdivision (16)(C) does not include a witness; or
(D)
Person elected, appointed, or otherwise designated to become a public servant although not yet occupying that position;
(17)
"Purposely" or an equivalent term such as "purpose", "with purpose", "intentional", "intentionally", "intended", or "with intent to" means the same as purposely as defined in §
5-2-202
;
(18)
"Reasonably believes" or "reasonable belief" means a belief:
(A)
That an ordinary and prudent person would form under the circumstances in question; and
(B)
Not recklessly or negligently formed;
(19)
"Sawed-off or short-barreled rifle" means:
(A)
A rifle having one (1) or more barrels less than sixteen inches (16") in length; or
(B)
Any weapon made from a rifle, whether by alteration, modification, or otherwise, if the weapon, as modified, has an overall length of less than twenty-six inches (26");
(20)
"Sawed-off or short-barreled shotgun" means:
(A)
A shotgun having one (1) or more barrels less than eighteen inches (18") in length; or
(B)
Any weapon made from a shotgun, whether by alteration, modification, or otherwise, if the weapon, as modified, has an overall length of less than twenty-six inches (26");
(21)
"Serious physical injury" means physical injury that creates a substantial risk of death or that causes protracted disfigurement, protracted impairment of health, or loss or protracted impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ; and
(22)
"Statute" includes the Arkansas Constitution and any statute of this state, any ordinance of a political subdivision of this state, and any rule or regulation lawfully adopted by an agency of this state.
Amended by Act 2021, No. 931,§ 1, eff. 7/28/2021.
Amended by Act 2013, No. 1032,§ 1, eff. 8/16/2013.
Acts 1975, No. 280, § 115; A.S.A. 1947, § 41-115; Acts 1994 (2nd Ex. Sess.), No. 45, § 2; 1999, No. 1273, §§ 1-3; 1999, No. 1476, § 1; 2005, No. 1994, § 442; 2007, No. 827, § 11.