What does solicitation refer to in a legal context?

In a legal context, solicitation specifically refers to the act of encouraging, requesting, or urging someone to engage in criminal activity. This means that if a person actively tries to persuade or convince another individual to commit a crime, they are committing the offense of solicitation. It does not require that the contemplated crime is actually carried out for the solicitation itself to be considered a criminal act.

This definition emphasizes the proactive nature of solicitation, where there is a clear intent to induce another person to perform an unlawful act. It sets itself apart from other related concepts, like conspiracy or casual discussions, as solicitation is aimed at directly influencing another's actions towards committing a crime. The terms related to conspiracy and unplanned agreements involve a collective intention or agreement, which is not the primary focus of solicitation. A casual conversation lacks the specific intent or action that solicitation encompasses.