What are the elements required to establish the crime of attempt?

• A. A specific intent to commit the crime plus an overt act beyond mere preparation that is strongly corroborative of the criminal purpose
• B. Mere preparation with no further actions
• C. A completed plan with execution
• D. A mere thought about committing a crime

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that crime of attempt requires both a purposeful mindset and a concrete move toward finishing the crime. You must have the specific intent to commit the offense, not just a general inclination to do wrong. And you must take an overt act beyond mere preparation that strongly corroborates the criminal purpose—something that shows you are moving from planning to actually trying to complete the crime.

Mere preparation isn’t enough because it hasn’t demonstrated that you’ve crossed the line into activity aimed at completion. A completed plan with execution would be the crime itself, not an attempt. A mere thought about committing a crime isn’t actionable because there’s no act toward its execution. This combination of specific intent plus a substantial, corroborative step best fits how attempts are charged.