76


AMENDMENT 76

Amendment: Section 1B1.3 is amended in subsection (a)(3) by deleting "or risk of harm" immediately following "all harm", and by deleting "if the harm or risk was caused intentionally, recklessly or by criminal negligence, and all harm or risk" and inserting in lieu thereof "and all harm".

Section 1B1.3(a) is amended by deleting:

"(4) the defendant’s state of mind, intent, motive and purpose in committing the offense; and",

by renumbering subsection (a)(5) as (a)(4), and by inserting "and" at the end of subsection (a)(3) immediately following the semicolon.

The Commentary to §1B1.3 captioned "Background" is amended by deleting:

" Subsection (a)(4) requires consideration of the defendant’s ‘state of mind, intent, motive or purpose in committing the offense.’ The defendant’s state of mind is an element of the offense that may constitute a specific offense characteristic. See, e.g., §2A1.4 (Involuntary Manslaughter) (distinction made between recklessness and criminal negligence). The guidelines also incorporate broader notions of intent or purpose that are not elements of the offense, e.g., whether the offense was committed for profit, or for the purpose of facilitating a more serious offense. Accordingly, such factors must be considered in determining the applicable guideline range.",

and inserting in lieu thereof:

" Subsection (a)(4) requires consideration of any other information specified in the applicable guideline. For example, §2A1.4 (Involuntary Manslaughter) specifies consideration of the defendant’s state of mind; §2K1.4 (Arson; Property Damage By Use of Explosives) specifies consideration of the risk of harm created.".

Reason for Amendment: The purpose of this amendment is to delete language pertaining to "risk of harm" and "state of mind" as unnecessary. Cases in which the guidelines specifically address risk of harm or state of mind are covered in the amended guideline under subsection (a)(4) [formerly subsection (a)(5)]. In addition, the amendment deletes reference to harm committed "intentionally, recklessly, or by criminal negligence" as unnecessary and potentially confusing.

Effective Date: The effective date of this amendment is November 1, 1989.