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Home » Consumer Information » Crime

Voluntary Manslaughter

Voluntary Manslaughter is the act of killing another person without any previous planning or intent to harm that person in any way. These crimes are most often thought of as happening "in the heat of the moment" or being "crimes of passion". The elements that surround these killings are usually thought to be serious enough to inflict emotional and mental damage on a person while the event is going on. Perhaps the most recognizable example of this type of situation would be an individual who accidentally discovers their spouse engaging in sexual intercourse with another person. This could put the discoverer into a severe mental shock and lead to Voluntary Manslaughter.

Adequate Cause

The standard definition of Adequate Cause is "a cause that would commonly produce a degree of anger, rage, or terror in a person of ordinary temper, sufficient to render the mind of the defendant incapable of objective reflection". This definition coincides with the example listed above as a situation that is likely to produce a mentally disturbed state of mind leading to an unintentional killing. While the event is taking place, the person doing the killing is so enraged or disturbed they do not even realize what they are doing. This can also be the basis of an argument for temporary insanity.

Involuntary Manslaughter

Another form of manslaughter that occurs without any intention to kill or harm another person in any way is referred to as being involuntary. A death under these circumstances is accidental, but it is the direct result of the actions of another. It is also referred to as Gross or Criminal Negligence.

Vehicular Manslaughter

The unintentional killing of a person or persons while driving an automobile will produce a charge of Vehicular Manslaughter. It usually occurs because a driver is blatantly ignoring traffic rules and driving in an unsafe manner. Any accident that results in death which is directly related to a driver who was under the influence of alcohol also fits into this category.

Recklessness

A person who accidentally kills another due to severely reckless behavior may be found guilty of Involuntary Manslaughter. For example an individual who shoots a gun into the air will have no intention of harming another person in any way, but if the bullet were to inadvertently kill someone, the shooter would still be charged with the crime of manslaughter. In a case such as that, some states would upgrade the charge to second degree murder because it would be perceived us such gross negligence that it would constitute a form of malice.

Manslaughter may not carry quite the same level of serious foreboding as murder, but it still results in the death of another person, whether or not that death was intentional. As such, any case of manslaughter is apt to be dealth a serious prison sentence.

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