In re Stonewall F

In In re Stonewall F. (1989) 208 Cal. App. 3d 1054, the Court defined the mental state for arson, which also uses the section 7 term "willfully." In its analysis, the Stonewall F. court pointed to Peabody and the use of the section 7 term "willfully" in the offense of felony willful endangerment. (Stonewall F., supra, 208 Cal. App. 3d at pages 1065-1066.) Incorporating section 7's definition of "willfully" into the endangerment offense, said Stonewall F., means "an intent to place the child in a situation in which its person or health [is] in fact endangered." (Stonewall F., supra, 208 Cal. App. 3d at page 1066.) Stonewall F. continued: "The section 7 definition [of "willfully"] is entirely dependent upon the act to which 'wilfull' is appended. The required intent is an intent to do just that to which the term willful is applied. Its significance therefore is wholly dependent upon the grammar of the specific offense in which the term is employed." (Stonewall F., supra, 208 Cal. App. 3d at page 1066.)