- mistake
- Some unintentional act, omission, or error arising from ignorance, surprise, imposition, or misplaced confidence. A state of mind not in accord with reality. A mistake exists when a person, under some erroneous conviction of law or fact, does, or omits to do, some act which, but for the erroneous conviction, he would not have done or omitted. It may arise either from unconsciousness, ignorance, forgetfulness, imposition, or misplaced confidence. Salazar v. Steelman, 22 Cal.App.2d 402, 71 P.2d 79, 82.See also error- ignorance.@ mistake of factMistake of fact is a mistake not caused by the neglect of a legal duty on the part of the person making the mistake, and consisting in(1) an unconscious ignorance or forgetfulness of a fact, past or present, material to the contract; or(2) belief in the present existence of a thing material to the contract which does not exist, or in the past existence of such a thing which has not existed. A mistake of law happens when a party, having full knowledge of the facts, comes to an erroneous conclusion as to their legal effect. It is a mistaken opinion or inference, arising from an imperfect or incorrect exercise of the judgment, upon facts, Page v. Provines, 179 Okl. 391, 66 P.2d 7, 10; and necessarily presupposes that the person forming it is in full possession of the facts. The facts precede the law, and the true and false opinion alike imply an acquaintance with them. The one is the result of a correct application of legal principles, which every man is presumed to know, and is called "law;" the other, the result of a faulty application, and is called a "mistake of law." In criminal law, ignorance or mistake as to a matter of fact or law is a defense if:(a) the ignorance or mistake negatives the purpose, knowledge, belief, recklessness or negligence required to establish a material element of the offense; or(b) the law provides that the state of mind established by such ignorance or mistake constitutes a defense. Model Penal Code, No. 2.04(1).@- unilateral mistake
Black's law dictionary. HENRY CAMPBELL BLACK, M. A.. 1990.