720 ILCS 5/4-3 : Rights and Remedies — Criminal Offenses — Criminal Code — Criminal Code of 2012 — Principles of Criminal Liability — Criminal Act and Mental State —3 - Mental state TEXT PDF (a) A person is not guilty of an offense, other than an offense which involves absolute liability, unless, with respect to each element described by the statute defining the offense, he acts while having one of the mental states described in Sections 4--4 through 4--7. (b) If the statute defining an offense prescribed a particular mental state with respect to the offense as a whole, without distinguishing among the elements thereof, the prescribed mental state applies to each such element. If the statute does not prescribe a particular mental state applicable to an element of an offense (other than an offense which involves absolute liability), any mental state defined in Sections 4--4, 4--5 or 4--6 is applicable. (c) Knowledge that certain conduct constitutes an offense, or knowledge of the existence, meaning, or application of the statute defining an offense, is not an element of the offense unless the statute clearly defines it as such. 720 ILCS 5/4-3 Laws 1961, p. 1983.