A suspect shooting a person who is already dead is an example of "hybrid legal impossibility."

Question

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Hybrid legal impossibility occurs when a person attempts to commit a crime that they mistakenly believe is illegal, when in fact it is not illegal, or when they attempt to commit a crime against an object or person they mistakenly believe meets the legal requirements for the crime, when in fact it does not. In this case, shooting a person who is already dead would not meet the legal requirements for murder, therefore it falls under hybrid legal impossibility.

A Suspect Shooting a Person Who Is Already Dead Is