In layman's terms, it pretty much means that you understand the difference between right and wrong, and knew that what you were doing was wrong...or, at least, that you should have known.

If it's a speeding ticket, it doesn't mean that you knew the speed limit was 35, and you were going 50...it means that if you did know it was 35, then you know that you can't drive faster than that. Being mistaken about the actual speed limit doesn't change anything...yer still busted. It just means that if you knew the actual speed limit, then you know what that means and that driving faster than that can get you busted.

It's the old "ignorance of the law is no excuse" rule...a "culpable mental state" means that if you did know the law, then you'd also know how to either run afoul of it or not.

It's also what the M'Naughton rule of "not guilty by reason of insanity" is...in that instance, you can be found "not guilty" if you were mentally unable to tell the difference between complying with the law or not.

Make sense?

Fish on...

Todd