Murder and manslaughter are two very grave crimes with severe repercussions. Both these are acts of illegal killing of another. However, murder and manslaughter differ from each other in terms of the intent, the manner in which the act was committed, and the penalties for the act.
What is the Difference Between Murder and Manslaughter?
The chief difference between murder and manslaughter is the intent. Murder is a premeditated act wherein the killer plans the murder and takes action. Manslaughter on the other hand is not an intended act. The crime is committed because of a reckless act of an individual.
Here’s an example to explain the difference between the two:
Consider a car accident where the victim of the accident loses his life. This act could be murder or manslaughter depending on how it was committed.
If the driver of the car had intended to kill the victim and planned the accident to facilitate it, it is a murder. This is because there is a clear intent for committing the crime. However, if the victim died because of reckless driving by the driver, it would qualify as manslaughter. This is because there was no intent to commit the crime. The death of the victim was not an intended outcome.
Both murder and manslaughter are criminal activities and are tried in a criminal court.
Two Chief Types of Murder are:
First degree: First-degree murder is when the murder is premeditated and the killer has sufficient time to plan it and put it into action. An example of first-degree murder is a murderer planting a bomb at a specific location to murder someone.
Second-degree: Second-degree murder is also known as felony murder. In this case, murder is not the original intent of the crime. The killer intended to commit a felony but there was a murder while committing it. An example of second-degree murder is when a criminal might intend burglary and someone suddenly appears when he is committing the crime. The criminal might kill this person so that he can commit the burglary.
Manslaughter is of two types:
Voluntary: Voluntary manslaughter is when the victim is murdered by the killer because of some kind of provocation. Such crimes happen in the heat of the moment without any planning.
Involuntary: Involuntary manslaughter is the killing that is a consequence of the recklessness of the killer.
The punishment for murder and manslaughter are different.
The penalties for murder could be fines or a life sentence. The punishment for manslaughter could be imprisonment for a specific number of years.
If you are charged with murder or manslaughter you suffer issues such as loss of reputation, and loss of job, you may also lose your voting rights.
Therefore, it is necessary that you get acquitted to avoid the negative impacts of the accusation. An experienced murder lawyer can help defend you if you are facing charges of murder or manslaughter.
Ward K Johnson Law Firm has the best murder lawyers who can defend you. Our team of lawyers is knowledgeable about the state, federal, and local laws. We have years of experience in successfully defending clients.
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