People v. Dlugash (1977) was a pivotal decision from the Court of Appeals of New York involving the principle of attempt in criminal law.

[1] This revolutionized the way New York courts analyze attempt, by shifting the focus from external circumstances to the state of mind of the defendant.

[1] The defendant, Melvin Dlugash, shot a dead body and was charged with attempted murder, a crime that was legally impossible to commit.

Dlugash allegedly shot the dead body out of fear, and with the hope of placating the actual killer by showing solidarity.

[2] Despite this, the jury believed that Dlugash intended to kill the victim, so the Court of Appeals of New York upheld an attempted murder conviction.