“ ‘Lucri causa’ literally means for the sake of gain. On rare occasions the suggestion has been made that no taking is with intent to steal unless the thief is motivated by some purpose of gain or advantage. Even those advancing this suggestion have not insisted upon an intent to gain a pecuniary advantage. An intent to take away property and destroy it for the purpose of destroying evidence has been held to be sufficient even by those who have been inclined to insist upon lucri causa as essential to an intent to steal. The generally accepted view does not include this element at all. It regards intent to deprive the owner of his property permanently, or an intent to deal with another’s property unlawfully in such a manner as to create an obviously unreasonable risk of permanent deprivation, as all that is required to constitute the animus furandi — or intent to steal.” Rollin M. Perkins & Ronald N. Boyce, Criminal Law 332–33 (3d ed. 1982).
lucri causa
lucri causa (loo-krIkaw-z[schwa]). [Latin] For the sake of gain. • Lucri causa was formerly an essential element of larceny, but today the thief’s intent to deprive the possessor of property is generally sufficient. See LARCENY.
