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Where an educational case, can be made

Glossary entry

English term or phrase:

willfully, unlawfully, feloniously...

Spanish translation:

intencionada e ilegalmente, habiendo cometido delito mayor

Added to glossary by Robert Forstag
Jan 19, 2017 15:15
7 yrs ago
35 viewers *
English term

willfully, unlawfully, feloniously, and by means of force and fear

English to Spanish Law/Patents Law (general) Reading of the Compaint / Municipal Court - California / interpretation context
I know what the language here means. My inquiry here concerns how it can best be rendered within an interpretation context (i.e., in a manner that flows and parallels the English, and without involving rearrangement of word order). The specific word of concern here is "feloniously."

That said Humberto Huacatay, on or about the first day of June `995, did willfully, unlawfully, feloniously, and by means of force and fear, take personal property from the person, possession, and immediate presence of Jhonny Morales, to wit: twenty-six dollars, lawful money of the United States.
Proposed translations (Spanish)
4 +2 intencionada, ilegal y delictivamente, mediante la fuerza y el miedo
4 +7 de forma dolosa, ilícita, delictiva y con violencia e intimidación
5 +1 con dolo, violencia e intimidación
4 +1 de forma deliberada, ilegal, criminal, y mediante la fuerza y el temor
5 de forma deliberada, ilegal, delictiva, y mediante la fuerza y el temor
4 +1 de forma ilegal, con dolo, malicia [intencionada] y mediante la violencia y la intimidación

Discussion

Robert Forstag (asker) Jan 22, 2017:
@Rebecca Thank you for your response and comments.

In the end, the only acceptable tranlation I can see here is the one I had wanted to avoid: "cometiendo un delito grave" (or some variant thereof). Please also see my grading comment and the discussion comment I posted yesterday.
Rebecca Jowers Jan 22, 2017:
Interesting, educational discussion I'm sorry that due to being swamped with work, I've only now been able to read the multiple entries of this interesting discussion.

@ Charles--your incredible research was so very informative; Thanks so much!

@ Robert--"feloniously" may indeed mean "acting in a way that meets the definition of a felony", but it would be of great interest to all of us to know how you finally work that into your translation. If you have a chance, please post it as a P.S. to this fine discussion.

Saludos desde Madrid
Robert Forstag (asker) Jan 22, 2017:
@Charles I also do not want to prolong the discussion, but I think that the plain meaning of "feloniously" in the context of my query is "acting in a way that meets the definition of a felony." Of course, I could be wrong, and I agree with you that input from seasoned court interpreters would be useful here. 😊
Charles Davis Jan 22, 2017:
I do NOT want to prolong the discussion, but in the light of your comments I was just thinking that it would have been useful to have input from some of our colleagues here who work as court interpreters.

For what it's worth, and purely for information, I offer the following, from a "Free Glossary / Dictionary of Legal English -Spanish Court Terms", said to have been "Made possible by the contributions of a number of Spanish / English interpreters":

"feloniously - con intención de cometer un delito"
http://ernestoromero.net/LS.pdf
Robert Forstag (asker) Jan 22, 2017:
@Charles et al.: I also did not think that any real consensus had emerged, or that the discussion--for all its inherent interest--was really going anywhere. And given that I did not find any of the answers satisfactory, and that I prefer to neither close a question without grading or leave it open indefinitely, I chose my course of action.

Of course, my opinions reflect my own limited knowledge. Specifically, I do not know if "criminal(mente)," "delictiva(mente)" or any of the other choices offered would be considered acceptable by experienced certified interpreters in the US, bilingual jurists working in the US, or FCICE exam graders.

My question arose originally because "feloniously" struck me as posing an interpretation problem as a result of its not allowing a solution of a one- or two-word Spanish adverb. In practical terms, this leaves the interpreter having to make a split-second decision as to how to accurately render the term in plausible Spanish. If said interpreter is faced with this situation without knowing in advance that a given non-literal or periphrastic rendering is acceptable, then it seems that the kind of unwieldy calque that I have suggested is the only option.
Charles Davis Jan 22, 2017:
@Robert I am grateful for your gesture, though slightly embarrassed by the outcome. I think we've made a lot of progress, but I'm not sure that a clear consensus has emerged. However, perhaps that was too much to expect. I was very struck in my research by how much argument there has been at federal court level about the meaning of "willfully" and "feloniously". If the lawyers aren't clear about it, what's a poor translator/interpreter to do?
Kirsten Larsen (X) Jan 22, 2017:
Incluso parece ser que se puede hacer una afirmación de forma "willfully, unlawfully and feloniously":
That on or about the 13th day of March 2000 in the City of Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines and within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, the above-named accused, did then and there willfully, unlawfully and feloniously make untruthful statements under oath upon a material matter before a competent person authorized to administer oath which the law requires to wit: said accused stated in the Verification/Certification/Affidavit x x x"
http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2012/february2012/1...
Kirsten Larsen (X) Jan 22, 2017:
Yo propuse en su momento "con malicia" pero UNO que el debate de ustedes, poco más poco menos, ya han dejado claro que de eso no va, y OTRO que el siguiente párrafo insinúa lo mismo:
"FN 2. Counts 3 and 4 allege that defendant "did willfully, unlawfully and feloniously and without malice, while engaged in the driving of a vehicle in the commission of an unlawful act not amounting to a felony, with gross negligence, and while in the commission of a lawful act which might produce death, in an unlawful manner, with gross negligence, kill" two named human beings."
http://law.justia.com/cases/california/supreme-court/2d/45/5...
Si a ustedes les parece que estoy rizando lo rizado, ruego que me perdonen.
Robert Carter Jan 22, 2017:
@Robert F. I am not satisfied that any of the answers accurately captures the meaning of "feloniously"

In that case, I don't understand why you didn't leave the question open. I actually thought we were getting to the bottom of it here. Had you left it a few more days to mull over, we might have reached a good solution.
Charles Davis Jan 21, 2017:
Maliciously We do not have to deal with this term here (just as well; we have enough on our plate already), but it may be worth mentioning that "maliciously" does not require "malice" in the ordinary sense of ill-will or evil intent. It merely requires that the act be committed "wrongfully and without legal justification or excuse". There's a lot of material on this, but United States v. Kelly (2012) in the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, has some useful discussion of it.
http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-9th-circuit/1598750.html
Charles Davis Jan 21, 2017:
I agree with Javier on "alevosía". The word "feloniously" in an indictment does not require the prosecution to prove "alevosía", at least as this term in understood in Spain.
Charles Davis Jan 21, 2017:
Willfully "The Meaning of “Willfully” in Federal Criminal Statutes
The mens rea term “willfully” is often said to be “a word of many meanings,” whose construction varies based on the context in which it appears. Federal courts have generally interpreted “willfully” in one of three ways. The first interpretation merely requires that the person act “knowingly” or “purposely,” which is to say that the actions are intentional rather than accidental. Under this interpretation, willful does not require an evil motive. [...]
The second interpretation of “willfully” generally requires a culpable state of mind, or proof that the act was committed with the specific intent to commit an unlawful act. Rather than merely committing the act “knowingly,” the actor must also know the conduct is wrongful. [...]
The third interpretation of “willfully” requires that the person violate a known legal duty. This interpretation is considered to be a “heightened” mens rea standard because as it requires proof that the person knows the law that he or she is charged with violating."
http://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?ar... , p. 279 (p. 10 of file)
Javier Sancho Durán Jan 21, 2017:
@Sandro A mí la alevosía no me cuadra con la documentación que ha aportado antes Charles. Tampoco es lo mismo que el dolo. El dolo es un requisito de cualquier delito que no se deba a un acto imprudente (art. 5 del Código Penal). En cambio, la alevosía es un simple agravante (art. 21.1.º CP). Todos los delitos sin imprudencia son dolosos, pero no necesariamente son también alevosos. En cambio, todos los delitos alevosos son dolosos (por el tipo de agravante, la alevosía solo tiene sentido con el dolo y no con la imprudencia: nadie asesina por la espalda y aprovechando la oscuridad [sería un ejemplo de alevosía] por imprudencia).
Siempre hablo de España. Ya hemos comentado antes que quizás habría que estar tomando como referencia algún ordenamiento más próximo a EE. UU.

«Hay alevosía cuando el culpable comete cualquiera de los delitos contra las personas empleando en la ejecución medios, modos o formas que tiendan directa o especialmente a asegurarla, sin el riesgo que para su persona pudiera proceder de la defensa por parte del ofendido.» (art. 21.1º CP)
https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-1995-25444
Sandro Tomasi Jan 21, 2017:
Poniéndole un poco más de atención, creo que dos de los elementos analizados, willfully y feloniously, se pueden dividir en dolo general (general intent) y dolo específico o especial (specific intent). O sea, con willfully se hace constancia de la voluntad de delinquir y con feloniously se establece el propósito o fin que persigue el sujeto activo para lograr un delito en particular.

Olga había mencionado el término alevosía. Esto habla del dolo específico. Por ende, creo que feloniously se puede traducir por alevosía en este contexto. Ahora entiendo el vínculo que había hecho Olga entre malicia y alevosía.
Kirsten Larsen (X) Jan 21, 2017:
Sería muy interesante si se pudiera guardar en pdf esta discusión entre titanes....
Charles Davis Jan 21, 2017:
Entiendo que el contexto no es una sentencia, sino un "indictment", la acusación que inicia el procesamiento. Expresa lo que el fiscal tiene que demostrar.
Javier Sancho Durán Jan 21, 2017:
Ya. Es ilícito/delictivo si los hechos ya están calificados así en la sentencia. En un momento anterior, deberíamos estar argumentando si se cumplen o no los elementos del tipo (es decir, los requisitos para que sea un delito). Si "illegally" significa "ilegal" y "feloniously" es "delictivo", ya no nos hace falta el juicio. También es cierto que las partes tendrán interés en calificar los hechos como ilícitos y delictivos para convencer al juez, así que, sin más contexto, tampoco sabría pronunciarme.
Charles Davis Jan 21, 2017:
No sé; yo había entendido que "illegally" es que el acto sea, de hecho, ilícito o antijurídico (independientemente de si el que lo comete sea consciente de ello). Pero "con ánimo delictivo" me parece bien, porque expresa el concepto de intención de delinquir, que parece ser la clave.
Javier Sancho Durán Jan 21, 2017:
Entiendo que la diferencia entre el "illegally" y el "feloniously" en el fondo es que una cosa es ser consciente del desvalor jurídico de la acción ("illegally", puede ser una infracción administrativa, civil, etc.) y otra ser consciente de que se trata de un desvalor lo suficientemente grave como para que esté tipificado penalmente ("feloniously").
Javier Sancho Durán Jan 21, 2017:
@Charles Por ejemplo. O «de forma intencionada, ilícita [con conocimiento de su antijuridicidad] y ánimo delictivo [conocimiento de su tipicidad]». De alguna forma habrá que traducirlo y ya estamos viendo que no es fácil. En mi opinión, «dolo» es más amplio que «feloniously» y abarca también «willfully» e «illegally», pero claro...
Charles Davis Jan 21, 2017:
Si volviera a contestar la pregunta, me parece que pondría "de forma intencionada, ilícita y dolosa". A lo mejor valdría "delictiva" por "dolosa", pero creo que "dolosa" expresa con mayor claridad el concepto de "intention of committing a crime".
Charles Davis Jan 21, 2017:
@Javier Tiene sentido. Sería la diferencia entre intencionalidad y dolo. "Willfully" sería "de forma intencionada", "illegally" sería "de forma ilícita" y "feloniously" sería "con ánimo delictivo" o "con dolo" (que entiendo que es lo mismo, ¿no?). Los jueces del caso que he citado dicen que "feloniously taken" significa "taken with the intent to steal" y que no significa "taken in a manner that is a felony [and is not a misdemeanour").

Black (5ª edn.), definía "feloniously" como:

"[o]f, pertaining to, or having, the quality of [a] felony"
"acting with intent to commit a felony"
"done with a deliberate intention of committing a crime".

La clave sería "intention of committing a crime", intención de delinquir, no intención de cometer cierta clase de delito y no otra.
Javier Sancho Durán Jan 21, 2017:
"willfully" and "feloniously" Pensemos en una situación en que se lesiona a otra persona en defensa propia. Habría intencionalidad ("willfully"), pero no habría ánimo delictivo (¿"feloniously"?) ni consciencia de estar cometiendo un hecho ilícito ("unlawfully"). ¿Quizás algo en esa línea o no cuadra con la sentencia que ha puesto Charles?

Estoy disfrutando mucho con el debate y con las referencias jurisprudenciales que estáis poniendo, por cierto.
Charles Davis Jan 20, 2017:
Assuming it is so, I would now be hard pressed, from a translation point of view, to distinguish between "willfully" and "feloniously".
Charles Davis Jan 20, 2017:
The judges were dealing here with the meaning of "feloniously" in one particular statute, 18 U.S.C. § 662, on receiving stolen property "which has been feloniously taken".
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/662

Moreover, they addressed specifically the meaning of "feloniously" in "feloniously taken". Their whole argument was about this particular expression. I simply don't know whether it follows from their judgment that "feloniously" always means "with intent". But I would be surprised if it were otherwise, since their arguments seem generally applicable.
Charles Davis Jan 20, 2017:
@Robert I find this fascinating, because clearly a lot of people do think it does mean "constituting a felony", and that's why the judges in U.S. v. Simmons went into it so deeply.

They make a similar point to yours:

[...] if we were to give 18 U.S.C. § 662 the construction that Simmons urges, enforcement of the statute would be dependent upon divergent state laws and therefore result in uneven application throughout the United States. [...] For example, the knowing receipt of stolen goods worth $300 might violate 18 U.S.C. § 662 if the goods were stolen in Virginia, where the larceny of goods worth more than $200 is a felony [...] but not if the goods were stolen in Maryland, where theft is not a felony unless the goods are valued at more than $500 [...]. Moreover, because one element of the offense established by 18 U.S.C. § 662 is the defendant's knowledge that the goods were "so taken, stolen, or embezzled," Simmons' understanding of § 662 is premised upon the dubious proposition that Congress intended to require that the defendant know both (1) in which state the goods in his possession were stolen and (2) the distinction between misdemeanor and felony thefts in that state."
Robert Carter Jan 20, 2017:
@Charles Some fantastic investigation there as usual, and very fair of you, too.
I just can't get past the idea of someone committing an act in a way they know to be classified as a felony as opposed to a misdemeanor.
I actually think it would undermine the prosecution's case were it to be construed in that way, since they would then need to prove that the person was aware of the statute's threshold for what is and isn't a felony, and in this case in particular (twenty-six dollars), the defendant could claim he only thought it was a misdemeanor, which would be an absurd defense, yet quite possible if the word is to be taken as "in the knowledge that the crime is serious enough to warrant a felony conviction".
On the other hand, proving intent would be much easier.
Perhaps prosecutors use the word in such a way as to confuse grand juries into issue more indictments than they otherwise would?
Charles Davis Jan 20, 2017:
BUT Now I'm going to backtrack, because I've found a case from the United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit -- U.S. v. Simmons, 247 F.3d 118 (2001), which discusses the meaning of the word "feloniously" in great detail (the appeal turned upon it), and rejects the appellant's argument that it means the offence was a felony. The judges conclude:

"we are confident that Congress, when it enacted 18 U.S.C. § 662, understood the term "feloniously taken" to be a term of art meaning "taken with the intent to steal" rather than "taken in a manner that is a felony," and we so hold."

The case is of the greatest interest for this question and I think the judgment must be regarded as authoritative.
https://www.ravellaw.com/opinions/94de4b0dc66342538c7c2b09d7...
Charles Davis Jan 20, 2017:
Or see this "FELONIOUSLY
TheLaw.com Law Dictionary & Black's Law Dictionary 2nd Ed.

pleadings. This is a technical word which must be introduced into every indictment for a felony, charging the offence to have been committed feloniously; no other word, nor any circumlocution, will supply its place. With a felonious intent; with the intention of committing a crime. An indispensable word in modern indictments for felony, as felonice was in the Latin forms."
https://dictionary.thelaw.com/feloniously/
Charles Davis Jan 20, 2017:
@Robert But "felonious" most definitely does, or at least can, mean "of, relating to, or having the nature of a felony <felonious assault>". I quote from Merriam-Webster's general dictionary, which also gives "evil, villainous", (marking this usage as archaic). This is from the general dictionary; their law dictionary gives only the first definition quoted.

They are not alone. See here:
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/feloniously

You say that it is syntactically not possible for "feloniously" to refer to the category of the crime. I see no reason why not. Certain offences are classed as felonies because they are regarded as serious and harmful. To say that somebody did something feloniously, meaning that the nature of the alleged act was such as to make it a felony, makes perfect sense. It is no more syntactically impossible than "unlawfully". "Feloniousness" is a quality of some acts that leads them to be classified as felonies

No, there's no such word as "misdemeanorously". There doesn't need to be. I don't think that qualifies as an argument by analogy.
Robert Carter Jan 20, 2017:
Feloniously I agree with Javier with regard to the use of feloniously, in that the categorization of the crime is not what's being meant here, simply because syntactically it's not possible.

Think about the flip side - could we say that an offense was committed, not feloniously, but misdemeanourously? Clearly that word doesn't exist, and there's a reason for it: it makes no sense as the qualifier of an action.

We simply do not use adverbs in this way. For example, we can't say "you wilfully, illegally and imprisonably did such and such, because although the crime may be an imprisonable offense, imprisonable has nothing to do with the action, it concerns the consequence.

In my opinion, we're confusing two different concepts here, the use of "felony" as a qualifier of how serious the crime is, i.e. a felony offense, and the use of "felonious" as a synonym for maliciously and intentionally.
Charles Davis Jan 20, 2017:
"Where an indictment or affidavit is uncertain or ambiguous, or where its language admits of more than one construction, all reasonable doubts are to be resolved in favor of the accused and it will be construed most strongly against the state. [...]
we are of the opinion that the words `unlawfully,' `feloniously,' `purposely and with premeditated malice,' descriptive of the manner in which the alleged assault and battery was perpetrated, carry with them an import that it was done in either a rude manner, or in an insolent manner, or in an angry manner, if not that it was done in all of them. If it was done unlawfully and also feloniously, purposely and with premeditated malice, it was done in an angry manner, and more because malice is defined to mean enmity of heart, malevolence, ill-will, a spirit desiring harm or misfortune to another, a disposition to injure others, unprovoked malignity or spite [etc.]-- Bruce v. State, 230 Ind. 413, 418 (1952)
https://www.ravellaw.com/opinions/ead9cfba198c6df296dbaef6e5...
Charles Davis Jan 20, 2017:
@Javier Ya, pero Robert nos ha dicho que busca una traducción que sirva para la interpretación. Entiendo que se refiere a la interpretación en los juzgados y tribunales estadounidenses, donde el intérprete cumple una función fundamental, la de permitir que un acusado hispanohablante (procedente en la mayoría de los casos de México y Centroamérica, me imagino) entienda exactamente lo que significan los cargos. No hay que suponer que estos adverbios, ajenos al ordenamiento de España, sean mera palabrería. Al contrario, del sentido preciso de los términos empleados en los cargos puede depender la suerte del acusado. He aquí una apelación en el Tribunal Supremo de Indiana en la que se examinan con cuidado el tipo de adverbios que nos ocupa aquí:

(Continuará)
Javier Sancho Durán Jan 20, 2017:
feloniously En España hasta el 2015 se distinguía entre delitos y faltas. El término «delito» podía englobar los dos o referirse al delito en sentido estricto. Por tanto, en lo relacionado con el dolo, no creo que tenga sentido hacer hincapié en si se trata de un delito más o menos grave. Respecto al conocimiento de la tipicidad del hecho antijurídico, debería ser irrelevante. En otros países, ni idea.
Robert Forstag (asker) Jan 20, 2017:
"cometiendo un delito grave/mayor" I tend to think that the only really safe translation here for "feloniously" is the one I wanted to avoid: "cometiendo un delito grave/mayor."

Both "delito grave" and ""delito mayor" are widely accepted for "felony," at least in a US context (although the latter has its detractors).

In line with Charles, I do not think that "malice" or "criminal intent" accurately reflect the concept of "felony."


"Felony" is a category that classifies specific crimes. "Criminal intent" and "malice" are defining characteristics of particular crimes.
Charles Davis Jan 20, 2017:
Another adverb for our collection "In Mississippi, a defendant appealed a district attorney’s burglary indictment, stating that it didn’t charge him with anything because it contained bad grammar. In part, the indictment charged that the “goods, ware, and merchandise unlawfully, feloniously and burglariously did break and enter.” The defendant presented an English teacher as an expert witness. In its opinion, the court said if the “rules of English grammar are a part of the positive law of [Mississippi], [the defendant’s] burglary conviction must surely be reversed, for the indictment in which he has been charged would receive an ‘F’ from every English teacher in the land.” Even though the court held the indictment to be legally sufficient, the judge stated that even Shakespeare could not have understood the indictment, which was “grammatically unintelligible.” Henderson v. State, 445 So. 2d 1364 (1984)."
http://twolakesmedia.com/can-attorneys-cops-write-better/
Charles Davis Jan 19, 2017:
I would be surprised if "feloniously" had different meanings in different U.S. states, though you never know. I've just been amusing myself by looking at a serious of real-life cases where expressions of this kind are used. The first two, "willfully" and "unlawfully", are pretty much always there, but they can be followed by "feloniously", "maliciously", "with malice aforethought", and occasionally "lewdly". I don't think all these things are synonymous (well, obviously "lewdly" isn't). In other words, I don't think "feloniously" means "maliciously". "Maliciously" seems to be used when there is an apparent intention to harm someone's person and/or property: arson, for example. Examples in which "feloniously" is used range from murder and rape all the way down to forging a postal order, and include burglary (not aggravated). So I think "feloniously" probably does simply refer to a felony being committed and doesn't mean premeditation or malice.
Sandro Tomasi Jan 19, 2017:
malicia vs. alevosía This is off topic, but warrants a point of clarification. alevosía is not equal to malicia.

Según el Cód. Pen. esp.: "Hay alevosía cuando el culpable comete cualquiera de los delitos contra la vida, empleando medios, modos o formas en la ejecución que tiendan directa y especialmente a asegurarla, sin riesgo para su persona que proceda de la defensa que pudiera hacer el ofendido".

Moreover, premeditación is a translation pitfall of aforethought.
Olga GB Jan 19, 2017:
malicia vs. alevosía For "malicia" also may be used "alevosía", that is the intention, related with aforethought, "premeditación". It is an aggravating condition, but I don't think that may replace "felony" (in this case, feloniously) because that it the definition of the crime itself. I agree with Toni, it depends on the country. In many countries the word "criminal" as such implies a severe crime and "delito" is more generic.
Sandro Tomasi Jan 19, 2017:
@Olga "As feloniously means the way it is done towards an end."

This is an interesting point you make. Black's does provide an additional sense for felonious, "...3. Proceeding from an evil heart or purpose; malicious; villainous." So the question begs, do we translate feloniously with the mainstream sense (relating to a felony) or do we translate with the third sense? If it's the latter, Robert C. is the only one who provides malicia for felonious. In order to know for sure, I would need further context to read the source-language code pertaining to Robert Forstag's jurisdiction.
Toni Castano Jan 19, 2017:
A couple of points of interest @Robert: Your translation will strongly depend on the target country. This aspect is vital to define how to best translate "feloniously", which (= felony), for example in Spain, can be a "delito grave" or "delito menos grave" depending on the punishment applied, as Charles has explained.
However, another focal point here is the rendering of "by means of force and fear". In this case I am prone to think that a rendering such as "mediante el uso de la fuerza y la intimidación" fits better than "temor/miedo", since both terms are not strictly legal jargon.
Sandro Tomasi Jan 19, 2017:
@Charles You bring up an important issue in the division of crimes. I've been tackling this issue for at least a decade and I've concluded that felony and delito grave are close enough for most translation contexts, similar to how the words "lawyer" (3-yr. JD) and "abogado" (5- or 6-yr. degree) are. For example, in Puerto Rico's Criminal Code:
Artículo 16. Los delitos se clasifican en menos graves y graves. Es delito menos grave todo aquél que conlleva multa individualizada de hasta cinco mil (5,000) dólares o reclusión hasta noventa (90) días. Delito grave, en todas las clasificaciones que se especifican más adelante, comprende todos los demás delitos.

We see that in PR, a delito grave is any crime with a punishment over 90 days. This differs from most other countries who generally set it at 5 years or over. A felony in the US is a year or more.

Most contexts will adapt to a "when in Rome, do as the Romans" philosophy, which I make clear, is a secondary approach to legal xlation. The only context that would call for a Translator's Note is during sentencing that includes how many years someone served for a del. grav. or a felony.
Charles Davis Jan 19, 2017:
It would certainly be convenient to find a translation for "felonious" that would fit all cases, though that may not be possible. I recognise that "delictivo" does not fit the bill, because there are many minor delitos than are not felonies. But "criminal" won't always do either, because there are many felonies that are not crímenes, though perhaps it depends on the jurisdiction; in Spain, crimen/criminal involves actual serious violence against the person. In this case, for example, that is very probably not the case.

I think "de forma agravada" is a pretty good general-purpose solution.
Olga GB Jan 19, 2017:
Another option As feloniously means the way it is done towards an end, and not the already judged felony, there is a good expression "con intención criminal" which would probably replace the three words. That would be maybe a too free answer, but in fact implies the intentional, ilegal and criminal character of the action.
Charles Davis Jan 19, 2017:
Yo diría que "felony" está entre grave y menos grave, por lo menos según las categorías de España. No es cualquier delito, cierto, pero hay "felonies" que no son delitos graves. En el caso que nos ocupa se trata de un "aggravated robbery", realizada con fuerza (que puede ser y seguramente fue con la amenaza de fuerza). Según las circunstancias, sería de segundo o tercer grado, que en Ohio, por ejemplo, supondría penas de 2-6 o de 1-5 años de cárcel. En España sería, en ambos casos, un delito menos grave. Los delitos graves, en España, son los que se castigan con 5 años de cárcel como mínimo.
Kirsten Larsen (X) Jan 19, 2017:
Igual se podría dejarlo como "con malicia".
"Artículo 82.–Asesinato
Asesinato es dar muerte a un ser humano con malicia premeditada.–Código
Penal, 1974."
http://www.ramajudicial.pr/CodigoPenal/acrobat/08-Parte-D-Es...
Kirsten Larsen (X) Jan 19, 2017:
¿Esta propuesta de 2016 es otra opción, quizá?.....
http://www.proz.com/kudoz/english_to_spanish/law_general/605...
Es mi impresión que "felony" es delito grave, sí.

Proposed translations

+2
48 mins
Selected

intencionada, ilegal y delictivamente, mediante la fuerza y el miedo

This is what I was going to suggest. Or "de forma...", as Olga suggests; I've done it with adverbs so as to offer an alternative. I think willfully could be "intencionado", "deliberado" o even "voluntario", and "temor" could be used for fear and might be better than "miedo". But since your main concern is "feloniously", and I agree with you that "criminal(mente)" will not do, I'm posting another suggestion, even though it's so similar to Olga's. "Feloniously" means, I believe, that the alleged action constitutes a felony (delito), and so "delictivamente" seems to me accurate.

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Note added at 2 hrs (2017-01-19 17:28:19 GMT)
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Hi Robert. I think that's a fair point. Maybe it would be better to go back to Sandro's suggestion of "de forma [...] agravada", in the question Kirsten has mentioned ( http://www.proz.com/kudoz/english_to_spanish/law_general/605... ). It might not fit all cases of "feloniously", but in this case we are definitely looking at an aggravated robbery, which is not a misdemeanour, sure, but is not a "delito grave" either, unless it was a first degree aggravated robbery in which violence was actually used, which it probably wasn't. (I don't agree that all felonies are "delitos graves", though the definitions vary by country and I'm really thinking of Spain.) It would nice not to have to use "cometiendo un delito grave"!
Note from asker:
Hi Charles. Thanks for your answer, but as far as I can see, "delictivamente" is just as problematic here as "criminal(mente)," given that it doesn't reflect the crucially important fact that a *felony* (delito mayor/grave) rather than a misdemeanor (delito menor) was committed. The only solution that I can think of is "comitiendo un delito mayor/grave" which is awfully clunky--especially in the context of interpretation. Best. :)
Peer comment(s):
agree Olga GB : The suggestion of Charles is ok, is another option. I prefer to use "de forma" but from a legal point of view, I think both are right and you may use either of the two suggestions.
18 mins
Thank you, Olga!
agree Álvaro Espantaleón Moreno : Sí, Evitaría entrar en equivalencias del tipo dolo=willfully, etc. En Derecho Penal español, el fiscal u otros describen la tipicidad y si hay algún elemento subjetivo (ánimo de lucro, etc.). Pero aquí no estamos en España y cada palabra obedece a algo.
17 hrs
Muchas gracias, Álvaro :)
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1 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "WhileI am flattered that this query has attracted the interest of so many of the heavy hitters on this site, I am not satisfied that any of the answers accurately captures the meaning of "feloniously" (seemy note in the discussion). I have awarded Charles one point forhis erudite comments and references regarding various legal terms pertinent to this query. Thks to all who responded and commented. Case dismissed, without prejudice."
+1
38 mins

de forma deliberada, ilegal, criminal, y mediante la fuerza y el temor

The concepts are clear. I am proposing a style according to your need introducing for by means of "de forma".

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Note added at 46 mins (2017-01-19 16:02:00 GMT)
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criminal puede ser reemplazado por "delictiva"
Example sentence:

Las condiciones agravantes en la comisión del hecho es que se produjo de forma deliberada, ilegal, criminal, y mediante la fuerza y el temor.

Note from asker:
Thanks for your answer. I am just not sure that "criminal" would be accepted (i.e., on a test or in a real-life situation) as an accurate translation of "feloniously," although I do follow your logic here. :)
Peer comment(s):
agree Sandro Tomasi : Criminal better than delictiva, esp. in robbery charge context. That's for real life. For a test: if it's in a published dictionary, it must be accepted. http://www.bilinguallawdictionary.com/crime.pdf & http://www.bilinguallawdictionary.com/offenses.pdf
1 hr
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1 hr

de forma deliberada, ilegal, delictiva, y mediante la fuerza y el temor

As explained in my note for former proposal, criminal may be replaced by "delictiva", but not "delictivamente" because the suffix "mente" is already replaced when you use "de forma".
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+7
2 hrs

de forma dolosa, ilícita, delictiva y con violencia e intimidación

There is obviously no "correct" translation here, so I'm merely offering another option. I've translated "force and fear" as "violencia e intimidación" since this expresión is used often in Spanish criminal law (e.g., "robo con violencia e intimidación en las personas")
Peer comment(s):
agree Olga GB : I like very much this option. I found in TransLegal dictionary the following: feloniously adverb done in a way that makes it a felony (=a serious crime, eg rape, murder and burglary)
3 mins
Thanks, Olga
agree Toni Castano : I have just posted a note mentioning the term "intimidación". Yes, I certainly agree with "intimidación" instead of "temor/miedo". // And another plus point for "doloso" and "ilícito", the legal terms required here.
14 mins
Gracias, Toni
agree Sandro Tomasi : Very natural-sounding and elegant. Dolosa is good for willful, viol. e intimid. cover force and fear. Delictiva, however, leaves us open to any crime if we use the Spanish model. However, if we used LA model (delito/falta; fel./misd.) then delito is fel.
47 mins
Thanks, Sandro
agree Robert Carter : Your entry wasn't there when I began doing mine, but your reasoning is virtually the same, except for the "felonious" part, which I think is okay nonetheless.
1 hr
Thanks, Robert
agree Marissa Aguayo Gavilano
1 hr
Gracias, Marissa
agree Andrée Goreux
7 hrs
Gracias, Andrée
agree Ines R.
17 hrs
Gracias, Inés
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+1
3 hrs

de forma ilegal, con dolo, malicia [intencionada] y mediante la violencia y la intimidación

wilfully > con dolo
illegally > de forma ilegal
feloniously > con malicia [intencionada]
force and fear > violencia & intimidación

dolo
Del lat. dolus.
1. m. Engaño, fraude, simulación.
2. m. Der. Voluntad deliberada de cometer un delito a sabiendas de su ilicitud.
3. m. Der. En los actos jurídicos, voluntad maliciosa de engañar a alguien, de causar un daño o de incumplir una obligación contraída.
http://dle.rae.es/?id=E5XmK1L


Felonious in this case is akin to "malicious", as opposed to "incidental", the implication being that the action was performed intending to do real harm rather than, say, in self-defence, which is what actually renders the crime serious enough to warrant the qualifier "felony" crime.

Felonious
Definition from Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary

1) Refers to an act done with criminal intent. The term is used to distinguish between a wrong that was not malicious and an intentional crime, as in "felonious assault," which is an attack meant to do real harm.
2) Relating to a felony.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/felonious


"Force and fear" is a standard legal term in contract law (which I think it's clearly borrowed from in this instance). Implicitly it means "using force" (physical and/or mental) and "putting fear into someone". I've never seen the phrase "fuerza y miedo" used in Spanish law with any special significance, so I think you'd need to translate it using equivalent legal terms in Spanish, such as "intimidación" and "violencia".

What is FORCE AND FEAR?
an expression used where a contract or an agreement was made by forcing one party into it.
Law Dictionary: What is FORCE AND FEAR? definition of FORCE AND FEAR (Black's Law Dictionary)
http://thelawdictionary.org/force-and-fear/

Fear is grave or light, produced from an intrinsic or an extrinsic cause, necessary or free, just or unjust, produced in order to compel the contract or otherwise. All sorts of fear greatly disturbing the reason of a well-governed rational man invalidate a contract; if they be not so great as to amount to that, they do not avoid a contract. Force, also, moral or physical, is in effect the same. If a contract be made with one who takes wrongful advantage of necessities, or uses actual and extreme violence or threats producing well-grounded apprehension of such violence, that contract is voidable in law.
http://www3.nd.edu/Departments/Maritain/etext/emt25.htm

intimidar
Del lat. mediev. intimidare.
1. tr. Causar o infundir miedo, inhibir.
http://dle.rae.es/?id=LyFm2Wm

violencia
Del lat. violentia.
1. f. Cualidad de violento.
http://dle.rae.es/?id=brdBvt6

violento, ta
Del lat. violentus.
4. adj. Que implica el uso de la fuerza, física o moral.
http://dle.rae.es/?id=9Vgh8Tq|9VgmpJG


Peer comment(s):
agree Sandro Tomasi : Very good answer with plenty of foundation. You're the first to answer with the mens rea meaning of "felonious" instead of the criminal degree. I'm leaning more now to the equivalency of it with "malicious."
23 hrs
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+1
17 hrs

con dolo, violencia e intimidación

Creo que hay un problema de planteamiento en el modo en que lo quieres traducir (es decir, palabra por palabra). Es altamente improbable que un jurista español (es el ordenamiento que mejor conozco) desglose el dolo en «willfully», «unlawfully» y «feloniously». Son elementos del dolo, sin más.

Entiendo que «willfully» hace referencia al elemento volitivo del dolo (la intencionalidad). Tanto «unlawfully» como «feloniously» serían elementos cognoscitivos. El «unlawfully» se corresponde con el conocimiento del carácter antijurídico del comportamiento (antijuridicidad, desvalor jurídico, etc.). El «feloniously» lo tengo menos controlado, pero, en este contexto, tiene que referirse al conocimiento de la tipicidad del hecho (a que el autor del delito conoce los elementos que conforman el hecho típico; en lenguaje general, equivaldría a «delictivo», a que sabe que es un delito). Esto en español —de España— es dolo. No le deis vueltas porque no vais a sacar nada en claro.

«Means of force» es violencia o uso de la fuerza y «fear» debería ser intimidación. El delito básico del robo, puede servirte como referencia para estos dos términos:

Artículo 237

Son reos del delito de robo los que, con ánimo de lucro, se apoderaren de las cosas muebles ajenas empleando fuerza en las cosas para acceder o abandonar el lugar donde éstas se encuentran o violencia o intimidación en las personas, sea al cometer el delito, para proteger la huida, o sobre los que acudiesen en auxilio de la víctima o que le persiguieren.
Reference:

http://www.infoderechopenal.es/2012/11/dolo-concepto-elementos-clases.html

http://noticias.juridicas.com/base_datos/Penal/lo10-1995.l2t13.html#a237

Peer comment(s):
agree Sandro Tomasi : Excelentes: respuesta y fundamentos. Dolo lo dice todo. De acuerdo. Igual, usaría esta traducción como secundaria a una q exprese todos los elementos x palabra, dada la posib. de q cada uno sea inspeccionado bajo una lupa en los considerandos, p. ej.
9 hrs
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