Which term refers to the state of mind at the time the offender committed a wrongful act?

The term that describes the state of mind of an offender at the time they committed a wrongful act is mens rea. This Latin phrase translates to "guilty mind" and is a fundamental concept in criminal law. It refers to the mental state or intent that the individual had when engaging in the criminal act.

Mens rea is critical in distinguishing between levels of culpability; for example, it differentiates between unintentional acts, like negligence, and intentional acts, such as murder. The presence or absence of mens rea can significantly affect the severity of the charges and the potential penalties faced by the offender.

In contrast, actus reus refers to the actual act of committing the crime, the external component that constitutes the crime. The concept of culpability is broader and encompasses various factors, including mens rea, but does not specifically define the offender's state of mind at the time of the offense. The term criminal element encompasses both mens rea and actus reus, but it is not specific to the state of mind alone. Thus, mens rea is the best answer to this question as it precisely identifies the mental state during the commission of the crime.