What does it mean to be incapable of committing crimes?

Being incapable of committing crimes refers to specific legal definitions that provide certain individuals with a lack of criminal responsibility. This is often related to age or mental capacity. For example, individuals below a certain age (in California, typically under 18) are not legally considered capable of committing a crime, as they are deemed too young to understand the consequences of their actions fully. Similarly, individuals with significant mental deficits may also be unable to comprehend their actions or the nature of criminal behavior, resulting in a lack of culpability.

This concept is important in the legal system as it acknowledges that some individuals, due to these criteria, should not be held criminally responsible for their actions. Other responses focus on different aspects of criminal conduct, such as a lack of awareness, influence of substances, or the involvement of accomplices, which do not inherently relate to the fundamental inability to commit a crime due to age or mental capacity.