Montana Code Annotated

Mont. Code Ann. § 45-4-103 (2026)

Attempt

✓ current as of May 2026
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TITLE 45. CRIMES

CHAPTER 4. INCHOATE OFFENSES

Part 1. Enumeration of Offenses and Extent of Liability

Attempt

45-4-103. Attempt. (1) A person commits the offense of attempt when, with the purpose to commit a specific offense, the person does any act toward the commission of the offense.

(2) It is not a defense to a charge of attempt that because of a misapprehension of the circumstances, it would have been impossible for the accused to commit the offense attempted.

(3) A person convicted of the offense of attempt shall be punished not to exceed the maximum provided for the offense attempted.

(4) A person is not liable under this section if, under circumstances manifesting a voluntary and complete renunciation of criminal purpose, the person avoided the commission of the offense attempted by abandoning the person's criminal effort.

(5) Proof of the completed offense does not bar conviction for the attempt.

History: En. 94-4-103 by Sec. 1, Ch. 513, L. 1973; R.C.M. 1947, 94-4-103; amd. Sec. 1653, Ch. 56, L. 2009.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 85 cases (12 in the last 5 years), 1979–2025 · leading case: State v. Colburn, 2016 MT 246 (Mont. 2016).
State v. Colburn, 2016 MT 246 (Mont. 2016). · cites it 18× “¶10 Section 45-4-103(1), MCA, addresses the inchoate offense of attempt: “A person commits the offense of attempt when, with the purpose to commit a specific offense, the person does any act toward the commission of the offense.”
State v. Weinberger, 671 P.2d 567 (Mont. 1983). · cites it 24× “He committed the offense of attempted aggravated assault, if, with the purpose to commit that specific offense, he did any act toward the commission of that offense, section 45-4-103, MCA. As we stated in State ex rel.”
State v. Mahoney, 870 P.2d 65 (Mont. 1994). · cites it 16× “However, Subsection (4) of § 45-4-103, MCA (1987), provides a defense to the offense of attempt.”
State v. Martin, 2001 MT 83 (Mont. 2001). · cites it 10× “See § 45-4-103, MCA. However, assault on a peace officer, unlike attempted deliberate homicide, also requires proof of an additional fact not necessary for attempted deliberate homicide: that the victim is a peace officer.”
State v. Gunderson, 2010 MT 166 (Mont. 2010). · cites it 6× “Discussion ¶59 Section 45-4-103(1), MCA(2007), provides: “Aperson commits the offense of attempt when, with the purpose to commit a specific offense, he does any act toward the commission of such offense.”
State v. Wells, 658 P.2d 381 (Mont. 1983). · cites it 12× “Section 45-4-103(1), MCA, defines an attempt, and subsection (3) of this statute provides the penalty: "A person convicted of the offense of attempt shall be punished not to exceed the maximum provided for the offense attempted.”
State v. Scheffer, 2010 MT 73 (Mont. 2010). · cites it 11× “The prosecutor thus asserted that Scheffer had “attempted to destroy the evidence, but was not successful,” and she sought to amend Count II to allege attempted tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, a felony, in violation of §§ 45-4-103 and 45-7-207, MCA. The District…”
State v. Ferguson, 2005 MT 343 (Mont. 2005). · cites it 5× “Section 45-4-103, MCA, provides that a person commits the offense of attempt when, with the purpose to commit a specific offense, he does any act toward the commission of such offense.”
State v. Jackson, 2009 MT 427 (Mont. 2009). · cites it 6× “Section 45-4-103(1), MCA. ¶ 25 Jackson contends that the State did not present sufficient evidence to convict him of either charge, contending that the State's case was based entirely on insufficient circumstantial evidence.”
State v. Cameron, 2005 MT 32 (Mont. 2005). · cites it 6× “” Section 45-4-103(1), MCA. Further, a person convicted of attempt is punishable in the same manner as for conviction of the offense which was attempted.”
State v. Whitehorn, 2002 MT 54 (Mont. 2002). · cites it 4× “2d 1066 (following conviction for accountability for robbery and deliberate homicide under felony-murder rule, additional sentence under weapons enhancement statute was upheld where defendant provided the gun that was used in commission of a crime).”
State v. Ariegwe, 2007 MT 204 (Mont. 2007). · cites it 2× “) Then, on December 16, 2003, the State filed an amended information adding an alternative charge under Count I—namely, attempted sexual intercourse without consent, a felony, in violation of §§ 45-4-103 and 45-5-503, MCA (2001)—to which Ariegwe pleaded not guilty on December…”
— Mont. Code Ann. § 45-4-103(1) — 28 cases
State v. Colburn, 2016 MT 246 (Mont. 2016). “¶10 Section 45-4-103(1), MCA, addresses the inchoate offense of attempt: “A person commits the offense of attempt when, with the purpose to commit a specific offense, the person does any act toward the commission of the offense.”
State v. Jackson, 2009 MT 427 (Mont. 2009). “Section 45-4-103(1), MCA. ¶ 25 Jackson contends that the State did not present sufficient evidence to convict him of either charge, contending that the State's case was based entirely on insufficient circumstantial evidence.”
State v. Gunderson, 2010 MT 166 (Mont. 2010). “Discussion ¶59 Section 45-4-103(1), MCA(2007), provides: “Aperson commits the offense of attempt when, with the purpose to commit a specific offense, he does any act toward the commission of such offense.”
State v. Mahoney, 870 P.2d 65 (Mont. 1994). “However, Subsection (4) of § 45-4-103, MCA (1987), provides a defense to the offense of attempt.”
State v. Wells, 658 P.2d 381 (Mont. 1983). “Section 45-4-103(1), MCA, defines an attempt, and subsection (3) of this statute provides the penalty: "A person convicted of the offense of attempt shall be punished not to exceed the maximum provided for the offense attempted.”
— Mont. Code Ann. § 45-4-103(2) — 3 cases
State v. Gunderson, 2010 MT 166 (Mont. 2010). “Discussion ¶59 Section 45-4-103(1), MCA(2007), provides: “Aperson commits the offense of attempt when, with the purpose to commit a specific offense, he does any act toward the commission of such offense.”
State v. Johnstone, 798 P.2d 978 (Mont. 1990).
State v. P. Rossbach, 2024 MT 157 (Mont. 2024).
— Mont. Code Ann. § 45-4-103(3) — 8 cases
State v. Wells, 658 P.2d 381 (Mont. 1983). “Section 45-4-103(1), MCA, defines an attempt, and subsection (3) of this statute provides the penalty: "A person convicted of the offense of attempt shall be punished not to exceed the maximum provided for the offense attempted.”
State v. Weinberger, 671 P.2d 567 (Mont. 1983). “He committed the offense of attempted aggravated assault, if, with the purpose to commit that specific offense, he did any act toward the commission of that offense, section 45-4-103, MCA. As we stated in State ex rel.”
State v. Cameron, 2005 MT 32 (Mont. 2005). “” Section 45-4-103(1), MCA. Further, a person convicted of attempt is punishable in the same manner as for conviction of the offense which was attempted.”
State v. Azure, 591 P.2d 1125 (Mont. 1979).
State v. Hurlbert, 756 P.2d 1110 (Mont. 1988).
— Mont. Code Ann. § 45-4-103(4) — 4 cases
State v. Mahoney, 870 P.2d 65 (Mont. 1994). “However, Subsection (4) of § 45-4-103, MCA (1987), provides a defense to the offense of attempt.”
State v. Scheffer, 2010 MT 73 (Mont. 2010). “The prosecutor thus asserted that Scheffer had “attempted to destroy the evidence, but was not successful,” and she sought to amend Count II to allege attempted tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, a felony, in violation of §§ 45-4-103 and 45-7-207, MCA. The District…”
State v. Lynch, 2005 MT 337 (Mont. 2005).
State v. Urain, 1999 MT 164N (Mont. 1999).
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