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18 Pa.C.S. § 301

Requirement of voluntary act

Known as the Crimes Code

The act spans §§ 18–18 (603 sections).

(a) General rule.--A person is not guilty of an offense unless his liability is based on conduct which includes a voluntary act or the omission to perform an act of which he is physically capable.

(b) Omission as basis of liability.--Liability for the commission of an offense may not be based on an omission unaccompanied by action unless:

(1) the omission is expressly made sufficient by the law defining the offense; or

(2) a duty to perform the omitted act is otherwise imposed by law.

(c) Possession as an act.--Possession is an act, within the meaning of this section, if the possessor knowingly procured or received the thing possessed or was aware of his control thereof for a sufficient period to have been able to terminate his possession.

Official source: Pennsylvania General Assembly. Reproduced from public-domain Pennsylvania statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.