The Illustrated Guide to Criminal Law
Chapter 9: At Least You Tried
Attempt pg 15: A Continuum of Jurisdictional Differences

Between the thought and the deed, there is a whole continuum of intermediate steps.

At some point, they cross the line from mere “preparation,” which is not a crime, to “attempt,” which is.

Continuum line angling from Preparation to Completion.

Kansas: “Any overt act”

Minnesota: “Substantial step”

New York: “Dangerously close” to the completed crime

Arrow almost all the way to completion: *In real life, most people charged with Attempt are caught here, otherwise known as “caught in the act” or “with their pants down.”