4.12 Specific Intent/General Intent is a legal definition used to determine the level of criminal intent. It is an important part of criminal law and is used to determine whether an act was done with the intention of committing a crime, or if the actions were done without the knowledge or understanding of the criminal consequences. Specific Intent is when an individual has a conscious desire to commit a crime; they understand what they are doing, and they intend to carry out the criminal act. An example of this would be premeditated murder. General Intent is when an individual does not necessarily have a desire to commit a crime, but they still understand that their actions will result in criminal consequences. An example of this would be driving without a valid license.