The will and the proposed end distinguished crimes.

Explanation

(English-origin maxim.) Criminal intent and the intended object distinguish one crime from another — the same physical act may constitute different offenses depending on the purpose behind it.

Where this applies

• Two men punch someone in a bar fight — one intended to kill, the other just wanted to shove him away, so one is charged with attempted murder and the other with simple battery.
• A person who sets fire to a building to collect insurance is charged with arson for profit, while someone whose careless campfire spreads to the same kind of building faces a different, lesser charge.
• A pharmacist who deliberately sells fake medicine is charged with fraud, while one who accidentally dispenses the wrong pills faces a negligence charge — same result, different crime because of intent.