attempt

In Anglo-American law, "attempt" refers to inchoate crimes, where guilt can be established even if the criminal act is not completed. This involves conduct intended to achieve a criminal result that goes beyond mere preparation and comes dangerously close to completion, but ultimately fails.1

Drawing the line between mere preparation and an actual attempt can be challenging. Some legal systems also consider an attempt to include conduct that would be criminal if the circumstances were as the actor believed them to be, with a defense for impossibility only if the mistake was unreasonable. Traditionally, voluntary desistance after reaching a point beyond preparation was not a defense, though some modern codes, like the Model Penal Code, allow for it under specific circumstances.1