This chapter deals with conduct which is designed to culminate in the commission of a substantive offense but which fails to do so. The failure may be due to apprehension or intervention by law enforcement officials or it may be due to some other miscalculation on the part of the defendant. In this sense attempt, solicitation, and conspiracy are predominantly inchoate in nature and are grouped in this chapter for a unified and integrated treatment. While it is true that other offenses, such as reckless endangering, forgery, kidnapping, property damage and burglary, have incoate aspects, "attempt, solicitation and conspiracy have such generality of definition and of application as inchoate crimes that it is useful to bring them together in the Code and to confront the common problems they present."[1]

§705-500 Criminal attempt. (1) A person is guilty of an attempt to commit a crime if the person:

(2) When causing a particular result is an element of the crime, a person is guilty of an attempt to commit the crime if, acting with the state of mind required to establish liability with respect to the attendant circumstances specified in the definition of the crime, the person intentionally engages in conduct which is a substantial step in a course of conduct intended or known to cause such a result.

(3) Conduct shall not be considered a substantial step under this section unless it is strongly corroborative of the defendant's criminal intent. [L 1972, c 9, pt of §1; gen ch 1993]

1. M.P.C., Tentative Draft No. 10, comments at 24 (1960).