Criminal Law
Solicitation
Definition
Solicitation is the inchoate crime of asking, encouraging, or requesting another person to commit a crime, with the intent that the crime be committed. The crime is complete upon the asking — it does not matter whether the person solicited agrees, attempts, or completes the crime. Under the Model Penal Code, solicitation merges into the completed crime or attempt if the solicited person acts. Some jurisdictions treat solicitation as a lesser offense than the target crime.
Example
A person approaches a hitman and says, "I will pay you $50,000 to kill my business partner." The crime of solicitation is complete upon making the request.