n
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.
