Does transferred intent apply to assault?

Transferred intent applies to assault, just like it does to battery, making the first answer the correct choice. This legal doctrine allows for the intent to harm one individual to be "transferred" to another individual if the intended target is not the one who is harmed.

In the context of assault, if a person intends to scare or threaten a specific individual but accidentally causes reasonable apprehension in someone else, the intent can still be applied to that third party. This principle secures the rights of individuals harmed by the actions of others, ensuring that the intent behind the act is not rendered powerless simply because the person affected was not the intended target.

This is distinct from the other options which misrepresent the application of transferred intent. For instance, the second option incorrectly states that transferred intent applies solely to physical injuries, ignoring its broader applicability to intentional torts like assault. The third option incorrectly limits transferred intent to negligence, which is not applicable since negligence involves a lack of intent. Lastly, the fourth option mistakenly confines transferred intent to civil cases, while it's a concept relevant to both civil and criminal contexts.