HELP! what does crime of necessity mean? i cant seem to understand?

Question

can someone just help me out, i've been trying to look it up for hours

Answer 1

When somebody transgresses the law to fulfill their need.

For example, a homeless might steal food to prevent death by starvation. It's a bad example, but he committed a crime out of need.

Answer 2

A crime of necessity is a crime you commit in order to prevent a greater crime.  An example could be if you were drunk and someone was trying to kill you, so you jumped in your car and drove off but were picked up by the police for DWI.

Stealing food is not a crime of necessity because the government provides welfare to the needy and there are other means to feed yourself than stealing (food pantries, soup kitchen etc.)

Answer 3

To me a crime of necessity would be something on the order of stealing food to survive. You know it's wrong but you are compelled to steal because of hunger.

Answer 4

I think that it means a crime that was committed out of need. Like a mother stole formula for her child. I don't know if this is the correct answer but it is what I interpret the meaning to be.