What the difference between First Degree Muder and Manslaughter?
2007-07-21 16:14:27 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
In a nutshell, manslaughter is accidental. Murder is premeditated.
2007-07-21 16:18:05 · answer #1 · answered by Mindcrime 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
First Degree Murder requires premeditation and intent to kill. Manslaughter is accidental. For someone to be charged with manslaughter, one must prove there was no intent to kill. Most of the time these are caused via self defense or crimes of passion.
2007-07-21 16:27:24 · answer #2 · answered by armywife422 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
First degree murder and manslaughter are two completely different things. It goes to intent whether a death at your hands is murder or manslaughter. Murder is intentional, manslaughter is a mistake--like if you hit someone in anger and they fall and hit their head--you didn't intend to kill them but they fell and hit their head and died as a result of your striking them.
2007-07-21 16:31:21 · answer #3 · answered by Sgt Little Keefe 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The culpable mental state that is required. 1st degree murder requires that you PURPOSELY kill someone. This means you did it, and that you meant to do it (regardless of actually planning the murder, although if you planned it...this is what you get charged with). Manslaughter is an unintentional form of murder. It means you either recklessly or negligently killed someone, not that you had a specific design to kill them or that you knew what you did was substantially certain to kill them.
2007-07-21 16:52:20 · answer #4 · answered by cyanne2ak 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋