Richard is a college student. He is bright and always raises his hand to offer the correct answer to almost every question in class. One day, as he raises his hand, the student behind him lunges forward with a knife in an attempt to cut Richard's wrist and teach him a lesson for being a know it all. The student misses and Richard is unaware of the attempt. Which of the following crimes has been committed?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The correct answer is C, an attempted-battery assault, because the student behind Richard took a substantial step towards committing a battery (unlawful physical contact) by lunging at him with a knife, but failed to complete the act. Richard was unaware of the attempt, so there was no fear instilled in him for it to be considered assault in the traditional sense, and no physical contact was made for it to be considered a battery.

Richard Is a College Student