Which doctrine states that solicitation and attempt merge into a felony and are not conspiracy?

Which doctrine states that solicitation and attempt merge into a felony and are not conspiracy?

• A. Conspiracy
• B. Merger
• C. Solicitation
• D. Attempt

Answer: (B)

Merger doctrine in criminal law holds that the acts of solicitation and attempt merge into the offense they seek or try to commit, so they don’t remain separate charges alongside the completed crime. This prevents duplicative punishment for basically the same conduct: if the target felony is carried out, the solicitation or attempt is absorbed into that offense and cannot be charged separately. If the crime isn’t completed, you generally end up focusing on the attempt or solicitation rather than a separate “double” charge. Conspiracy, on the other hand, stays a distinct offense because it rests on an agreement to commit a crime, which can exist independently of whether the crime is actually carried out. So the doctrine described—that solicitation and attempt merge into the underlying felony and are not conspiracy—is the merger doctrine.

Merger doctrine in criminal law holds that the acts of solicitation and attempt merge into the offense they seek or try to commit, so they don’t remain separate charges alongside the completed crime. This prevents duplicative punishment for basically the same conduct: if the target felony is carried out, the solicitation or attempt is absorbed into that offense and cannot be charged separately. If the crime isn’t completed, you generally end up focusing on the attempt or solicitation rather than a separate “double” charge. Conspiracy, on the other hand, stays a distinct offense because it rests on an agreement to commit a crime, which can exist independently of whether the crime is actually carried out. So the doctrine described—that solicitation and attempt merge into the underlying felony and are not conspiracy—is the merger doctrine.