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Manslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder.
The law generally differentiates between levels of criminal culpability based on the mens rea, or state of mind. This is particularly true within the law of homicide, where murder requires either the intent to kill, a state of mind called malice or malice aforethought, which may involve an unintentional killing but with a willful disregard for life.
Manslaughter is usually broken down into two distinct categories:
voluntary manslaughter & involuntary manslaughter.
Voluntary manslaughter describes cases where the defendant may have an intent to cause death or serious injury,
but the potential liability for the person is mitigated by the circumstances and state of mind. The most common example
is the so-called heat of passion killing, such as where the defendant is provoked into a loss of control by unexpectedly finding a
spouse in the arms of a lover or witnessing an attack against his or her child.
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Involuntary manslaughter, sometimes called criminally negligent homicide occurs where there is no intention to kill or cause serious injury but death
is due to recklessness or criminal negligence.
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The charge of manslaughter is a very serious and perhaps an extremely life-altering situation.
You must be fully prepared to endure the stress involved with a situation of this magnitude.
An experienced manslaughter attorney can help you prepare your case from the start.
You must understand that you could face a lengthy prison sentence if you are misrepresented during your manslaughter case.
An experienced attorney may be able to have the manslaughter charges reduced or even have the case thrown out of court altogether.
This is a situation in which you can't afford to take a gamble with a public defender.
Contact an experienced manslaughter lawyer today to get the best results in your case.
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