Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Practice Exam

Transferred intent occurs when an intentional act causes harm to an unintended:

1. Victim

2. Accident

3. Perpetrator

4. Second victim

The correct answer is: Second victim

The concept of transferred intent occurs in tort and criminal law when a person intends to harm one individual but accidentally causes injury to another. In this scenario, the harm is essentially transferred from the intended target to an unintended victim. The correct choice highlights that the intent to cause harm was directed at one individual, but due to unforeseen circumstances, the harm instead impacts a different person. This principle allows the law to hold the original actor accountable for the injuries caused, even though the target of their intent and the actual victim differ. The other options do not accurately reflect the legal principle of transferred intent. For instance, an accident refers to an unintentional event, lacking the intentional aspect required for transferred intent. Similarly, a perpetrator might imply someone committing a wrongdoing, but in this context, the focus is on the recipient of the harm rather than their intent. Lastly, referring to a second victim might imply two victims in play, but it does not encapsulate the essence of transferred intent, which is fundamentally about the single act of intent leading to harm to an unintended individual.