Transferred Intent Definition

A doctrine in both criminal and tort law that holds that if one intends to harm Party A, but accidentally (or for some other reason) harms Party B, the harm will be treated as if Party B were the intended victim. This is a legal fiction designed to bring about the desired outcome, which is for the person to be held responsible for and prosecuted for an act of intent, and is most frequently applied in cases where there is a homicide involved.