malitia capitalis (m[schwa]-lish-ee-[schwa] kap-i-tay-lis). [Latin] Hist. Deadly malice.
malitia excogitata (eks-koj-[schwa]-tay-t[schwa]). See malitia praecogitata.
malitia praecogitata (pree-koj-[schwa]-tay-t[schwa]). See MALICE AFORETHOUGHT.
— Also termed malitia excogitata.
“[T]he word felony is often coupled with what will in the future be another troublesome term of art, to wit, malice aforethought or malice prepense (malitia excogitata, praecogitata)…. When it first came into use, it hardly signified a state of mind; some qualifying adjective such as praemeditata or excogitata was needed if much note was to be taken of intention or of any other psychical fact. When we first meet with malice prepense it seems to mean little more than intentional wrong-doing; but the somewhat weighty adjectives which are coupled with malitia in its commonest context — adjectives such as excogitata — are, if we mistake not, traces of the time when forsteal, guetapens, waylaying, the setting of ambush, was (what few crimes were) a specially reserved plea of the crown to be emended, if indeed it was emendable, by a heavy wíte.” 2 Frederick Pollock & Frederic W. Maitland, The History of English Law Before the Time of Edward I 468–69 (2d ed. 1899).
