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The
English courts apparently were the first to adopt it in criminal law. Writing in 1954, Edwards observed that "or well-nigh a hundred years, it has been clear from the authorities that a person who deliberately shuts his eyes to an obvious means of knowledge has sufficient mens rea for an offence
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The concept is also applied to situations in which people intentionally turn their attention away from an ethical problem that is believed to be important by those using the phrase (for instance, because the problem is too disturbing for people to want it dominating their thoughts, or from the
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technology was designed in such a way that they had no way of monitoring the content of swapped files. They suggested that their inability to monitor the activities of users meant that they could not be contributing to
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ruled that an accused could not be convicted for possession of "naval stores" unless the jury found that he "knew that the goods were government stores or wilfully shut his eyes to the fact.
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have asserted that they never asked or were never told what the contents of the packages were and so lacked the requisite intent to break the law. Such defenses have not succeeded, as
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by failing to find out the package's contents. Notably, this rule has only ever been applied to independent couriers, and has never been used to hold larger services that qualify as
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by the users. The court held that this was willful blindness on the defendant's part and would not constitute a defense to a claim of contributory infringement.
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as to criminal possession and importation of drugs. In a number of cases in the United States of
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based on such words as . . . 'knowingly.'" He noted that "o far as can be discovered, the case of
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was the first occasion in which judicial approval was given to" the willful ignorance doctrine...
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knowledge that solving the problem would require extensive effort).
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A famous example of such a defense being denied occurred in
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1351:) liable for the contents of packages they deliver.
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as to criminal possession and importation of drugs.
101:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
1331:have known what was in the package and exercised
1294:for willful blindness is sometimes called the "
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186:The examples and perspective in this article
8:
64:Learn how and when to remove these messages
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1207:
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27:Strategy for attempting to avoid liability
242:Learn how and when to remove this message
224:Learn how and when to remove this message
161:Learn how and when to remove this message
1602:Willful blindness per the IRS IRM Manual
1441:. Oxford University Press. p. 13.
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99:adding citations to reliable sources
1528:Criminal Law – Cases and Materials
1357:In re Aimster Copyright Litigation
25:
1533:Wolters Kluwer Law & Business
45:This article has multiple issues.
857:Perverting the course of justice
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177:
75:
34:
752:Intellectual property violation
86:needs additional citations for
53:or discuss these issues on the
1302:Precedent in the United States
1:
1470:Marcus, Jonathan L. (1993).
1087:Ignorantia juris non excusat
200:, discuss the issue on the
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777:Possessing stolen property
425:Offense against the person
1435:Sarch, Alexander (2019).
1071:Diminished responsibility
865:Crimes against the public
1000:Crimes against the state
920:(such as prohibition of
1309:United States v. Jewell
1248:United States v. Jewell
684:Crimes against property
374:(also called violation)
1588:Georgetown Law Journal
1371:copyright infringement
1136:Other common-law areas
969:Crimes against animals
837:Miscarriage of justice
819:Crimes against justice
1406:Plausible deniability
1345:United Parcel Service
1333:criminal recklessness
1281:intentional ignorance
1042:Defenses to liability
832:Malfeasance in office
1476:The Yale Law Journal
1416:Ignorance of the law
888:Censorship violation
611:Cybersex trafficking
206:create a new article
198:improve this article
188:may not represent a
95:improve this article
1582:Contrived Ignorance
1506:– via JSTOR.
1438:Criminally Ignorant
1411:Turning a blind eye
1349:U.S. Postal Service
1296:ostrich instruction
1285:Nelsonian knowledge
1277:conscious avoidance
1273:contrived ignorance
1066:Defense of property
918:Illegal consumption
454:Criminal negligence
354:Severity of offense
110:"Willful ignorance"
1388:Vincible ignorance
1383:Recklessness (law)
1245:or implicated. In
987:Wildlife smuggling
977:Cruelty to animals
606:Child sexual abuse
558:Negligent homicide
469:False imprisonment
366:Indictable offense
310:Scope of criminal
1553:978-1-4548-0698-1
1448:978-0-19-005657-5
1401:Willful violation
1394:Willful Blindness
1269:willful blindness
1239:willful ignorance
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631:Indecent exposure
499:Human trafficking
464:Domestic violence
392:Inchoate offenses
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208:, as appropriate.
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18:Willful blindness
16:(Redirected from
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1585:(1999), Vol. 87
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1482:(8): 2231–2257.
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1051:Actual innocence
908:Ethnic cleansing
802:Trespass to land
697:Arms trafficking
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661:Sex trafficking
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546:Preterintention
382:Summary offense
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1596:External links
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112: –
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106:Find sources:
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84:This article
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1617:Criminal law
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1565:334 F.3d 643
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1128:Self-defense
1085:
1008:Lèse-majesté
722:Embezzlement
646:Prostitution
636:Masturbation
519:Manslaughter
504:Intimidation
416:Solicitation
289:
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267:Criminal law
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93:Please help
88:verification
85:
61:
54:
48:
47:Please help
44:
1537:John Kaplan
1456:R. v. Sleep
1263:Terminology
1123:Provocation
847:Obstruction
827:Compounding
792:Tax evasion
616:Fornication
449:Child abuse
378:Misdemeanor
302:Concurrence
1611:Categories
1422:References
1362:defendants
1081:Entrapment
1056:Automatism
1033:Subversion
992:Bestiality
961:War crimes
956:Usurpation
883:Corruption
842:Misprision
717:Cybercrime
509:Kidnapping
489:Hate crime
479:Harassment
459:Defamation
411:Incitement
406:Conspiracy
372:Infraction
331:Complicity
326:Accomplice
284:Actus reus
214:March 2016
151:March 2016
121:newspapers
50:improve it
1622:Ignorance
1496:0044-0094
1347:, or the
1326:defendant
1314:knowledge
1253:knowledge
1144:Contracts
1118:Necessity
1023:Secession
1018:Espionage
951:Terrorism
913:Smuggling
807:Vandalism
787:Smuggling
727:Extortion
702:Blackmail
676:Voyeurism
656:Pederasty
641:Obscenity
523:corporate
346:Vicarious
341:Principal
336:Corporate
321:Accessory
312:liability
297:Causation
202:talk page
56:talk page
1569:7th Cir.
1377:See also
1159:Property
1154:Evidence
1149:Defenses
1098:Insanity
1028:Sedition
982:Poaching
946:Regicide
898:Genocide
873:Apostasy
811:Mischief
747:Gambling
712:Burglary
596:Adultery
573:Stabbing
568:Stalking
551:Homicide
514:Menacing
494:Homicide
291:Mens rea
274:Elements
196:You may
1339:(e.g.,
1187:Portals
1178:estates
1110: (
1108:Mistake
1093:Infancy
1061:Consent
1013:Treason
930:smoking
926:alcohol
893:Dueling
878:Begging
852:Perjury
782:Robbery
762:Looting
757:Larceny
737:Forgery
707:Bribery
578:Torture
563:Robbery
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439:Assault
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626:Incest
601:Bigamy
539:felony
534:Murder
529:Mayhem
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1341:FedEx
1318:drugs
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742:Fraud
692:Arson
204:, or
142:JSTOR
128:books
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1290:The
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