Murder in United States law

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

In the

involuntary manslaughter such as reckless homicide and negligent homicide, which are the least serious, and ending finally in justifiable homicide, which is not a crime. However, because there are at least 52 relevant jurisdictions, each with its own criminal code, this is a considerable simplification.[2]

Sentencing also varies widely depending upon the specific murder charge. "Life imprisonment" is a common penalty for first-degree murder, but its meaning varies widely.[3]

Capital punishment is a legal sentence in 27 states,[4][5] and in the federal civilian and military legal systems, though 8 of these states and the federal government have indefinitely suspended the practice. The United States is unusual in actually performing executions,[6] with 34 states having performed executions since capital punishment was reinstated in 1976. The methods of execution have varied, but the most common method since 1976 has been lethal injection.[7] In 2019 a total of 22 people were executed,[8] and 2,652 people were on death row.[9]

The federal Unborn Victims of Violence Act, enacted in 2004 and codified at 18 U.S. Code § 1841,[10] allows for a fetus to be treated as victims in crimes. Subsection (c) of that statute specifically prohibits prosecutions related to consented abortions and medical treatments.[10]

Jurisdiction

If murder is committed within the borders of a

District of Columbia, the D.C. Superior Court (the equivalent of a state court in the District) retains jurisdiction, though in some cases involving U.S. government property or personnel, the federal courts may have exclusive jurisdiction.[11]

If, however, the victim is a

U.S. military bases worldwide. Recently, the Supreme Court, in the McGirt
decision, reaffirmed that major crimes within the reservation boundaries of Native American tribes, for which a tribal member is suspected, must be investigated and prosecuted by the federal, not state, government. Federal penalties will apply if found guilty.

In addition, murder by a member of the

general court-martial
, subjecting to certain types of jurisdictions within its own borders or with foreign nations.

Jurisdiction over the crime of murder can be complex as a result of the principle of "dual sovereignty" that is part of federalism. In cases where a murder involves both state and federal jurisdiction, the offender can be tried and punished separately for each crime without raising issues of double jeopardy, unless the court believes that the new prosecution is merely a "sham" forwarded by the prior prosecutor.[12] In the United States there is no statute of limitations on the crime of murder.[13]

Degrees

The first division of the general crime of murder into graded subcategories was enacted into the law of Pennsylvania in 1794.[14] This enactment is often explained in terms of a desire to narrow the scope of application of capital punishment in that state and in the other states which subsequently graded murder into "first" and "second" degrees. The English common law, which had been received into the laws of the U.S. states, at the time applied capital punishment to a large number of crimes; as a result, states statutorily divided the crime of murder into first and second degrees, and began applying capital punishment only to criminals convicted of first-degree murder.[15] By 1953, three states—namely Florida, Minnesota, and Wisconsin—had further created the subcategory of third-degree murder.[16]

States have adopted several different systems for classifying murders by degree. The most common separates murder into two degrees (first- and second-degree murder), and treats voluntary and involuntary manslaughter as separate crimes that do not constitute murder, instead of third-degree murder.

First-degree murder
Any intentional killing that is willful and premeditated with malice aforethought. Felony murder, a charge that may be filed against a defendant who is involved in a dangerous crime where a death results from the crime, is typically first-degree, but may also be second-degree.[17]
Second-degree murder
Any intentional killing that is not premeditated or planned. A situation in which the killer intends only to inflict serious bodily harm, knowing this could result in death but with no specific intent to kill, constitutes depraved-heart murder, which can be considered as second-degree murder.
Voluntary manslaughter
Sometimes called a crime of passion murder and informally called third–degree murder, this is any intentional killing that involves no prior intent to kill and which was committed under such circumstances that would "cause a reasonable person to become emotionally or mentally disturbed". Both this and second-degree murder are committed on the spot under a spur-of-the-moment choice, but the two differ in the magnitude of the circumstances surrounding the crime. For example, a bar fight that results in death would ordinarily constitute second-degree murder. If that same bar fight stemmed from a discovery of infidelity, however, it may be voluntary manslaughter.[18]
Involuntary manslaughter
A killing that stems from a lack of intention to cause death but involving an intentional act of negligence, which may or may not be premeditated, leading to death. A drunk driving-related death is typically involuntary manslaughter (see also vehicular homicide, causing death by dangerous driving, gross negligence manslaughter, and causing death by criminal negligence for international equivalents). Note that the "unintentional" element here refers to the lack of intent to bring about the death. The crimes of first degree murder, second degree murder and voluntary manslaughter mentioned above feature an intent to kill, whereas involuntary manslaughter is "unintentional", because the killer did not intend for a death to result from their intentional actions.[19] If there is a presence of intention it relates only to the intent to cause a violent act which brings about the death, but not an intention to bring about the death itself.[20] However, there are exceptions, such as felony murder and depraved-heart murder, the latter of which can be considered as voluntary manslaughter or second-degree murder, instead of involuntary manslaughter, despite the lack of explicit intention to kill.

The Model Penal Code classifies homicides differently, without degrees. Under it, murder is any killing committed purposely and knowingly, even if it is a crime of passion murder without malice aforethought, manslaughter is any killing committed as a result of recklessness (also known as depraved-heart murder), and negligent homicide is any killing resulting from negligence.[21]

Some states classify murders differently. In Pennsylvania, first-degree murder encompasses premeditated murders, second-degree murder encompasses accomplice liability, and third-degree serves as a catch-all for other murders. In New York, first-degree murder involves "special circumstances", such as the murder of a police officer or witness to a crime, multiple murders, or murders involving torture.[22] Under this system, second-degree murder is any other premeditated murder.[23]

The New York statutes also recognize "murder for hire" as first-degree murder. Texas uses a scheme similar to New York's, but refers to first-degree murder as "capital murder", a term which typically applies only to those crimes that merit the

death penalty
. Some states, such as Florida, do not separate the two kinds of manslaughter.

Degrees of murder in U.S. states and territories
Jurisdiction 1st degree 2nd degree 3rd degree Other named categories Source
Federal
Yes Yes No No [24]
Alabama No No No Murder[a] [25]
Alaska Yes[b] Yes[c] No No [26][27]
American Samoa Yes[d] Yes[e] No No [28]
Arizona Yes[f] Yes[g] No No [29]
Arkansas Yes[h] Yes[i] No Capital murder[j] [30]
California Yes[k] Yes[k] No No [31][32]
Colorado Yes[l] Yes[m] No No [33]
Connecticut No No No Murder,[n] Murder with special circumstances,[o] Felony murder,[p] Arson murder[q] [34]
Delaware Yes[r] Yes[s] No No [35]
District of Columbia
Yes[t] Yes[u] No No [36]
Florida Yes[v] Yes[w] Yes[x] No [37]
Georgia No Yes[y] No Murder, Felony murder[z] [38]
Guam No No No Murder,[aa] Aggravated murder[ab] [39]
Hawaii Yes[ac] Yes[ad] No No [40]
Idaho Yes[ae] Yes[ae] No No [41]
Illinois Yes[af] Yes[ag] No No [42]
Indiana No No No Murder[ah] [43]
Iowa Yes[ai] Yes[aj] No No [44]
Kansas Yes[ak] Yes[al] No Capital murder[am] [45]
Kentucky No No No Murder[an] [46]
Louisiana Yes[ao] Yes[ap] No No [47]
Maine No No No Murder,[aq] Felony murder[ar] [48]
Maryland Yes[as] Yes[at] No No [49]
Massachusetts Yes Yes No No [50]
Michigan Yes[au] Yes[av] No No [51]
Minnesota Yes[aw] Yes[ax] Yes[ay] No [52]
Mississippi Yes[az] Yes[ba] No Capital murder[bb] [53]
Missouri Yes[bc] Yes[bd] No No [54]
Montana No No No Deliberate homicide,[be] Mitigated deliberate homicide[bf] [55][56]
Nebraska Yes[bg] Yes[bh] No No [57]
Nevada Yes[bi] Yes[bi] No No [58]
New Hampshire Yes[bj] Yes[bk] No Capital murder[bl] [59]
New Jersey No No No Murder[bm] [60][61]
New Mexico Yes[bn] Yes[bo] No No [62]
New York Yes[bp] Yes[bq] No Aggravated murder[br] [63]
North Carolina Yes[bs] Yes[bs] No Murder of an unborn child[bt] [64]
North Dakota No No No Murder[bu] [65]
Northern Mariana Islands Yes[bv] Yes[bw] No No [66]
Ohio No No No Murder,[bx] Aggravated murder[by] [67]
Oklahoma Yes[bz] Yes[ca] No No [68]
Oregon Yes[cb] Yes[cc] No Aggravated murder[cd] [69]
Pennsylvania Yes[ce] Yes[cf] Yes[cg] No [70]
Puerto Rico Yes[ch] Yes[ci] No No [71]
Rhode Island Yes[cj] Yes[cj] No No [72]
South Carolina No No No Murder[ck] [73]
South Dakota Yes[cl] Yes[cm] No No [74]
Tennessee Yes[cn] Yes[co] No No [75]
Texas No No No Murder,[cp] Capital murder[cq] [76]
U.S. Virgin Islands
Utah No No No Murder,[cr] Aggravated murder[cs] [77]
Vermont Yes[ct] Yes[ct] No No [78]
Virginia Yes[cu] Yes[cu] No Capital murder[cv] [79]
Washington Yes[cw] Yes[cx] No No [80]
West Virginia Yes[cy] Yes[cy] No No [81]
Wisconsin No No No First-degree intentional homicide,[cz] first-degree reckless homicide,[da] felony murder[db] [82]
Wyoming Yes[dc] Yes[dd] No No [83]

Fetal killing

Fetal homicide laws in the United States
  "Homicide" or "murder"
  Other crime against fetus
  Depends on age of fetus
  Assaulting mother
  No law on feticide

Under the common law, an assault on a pregnant woman resulting in a stillbirth was not considered murder.[84] Remedies were limited to criminal penalties for the assault on the mother and tort action for loss of the anticipated economic services of the lost child, for emotional pain and suffering, or both. With the widespread adoption of laws protecting unborn life, the assailant could be charged with that offense, but the penalty was often only a fine and a few days in jail. A number of states have passed "fetal homicide" laws, making killing of a fetus murder; the laws differ about the stage of development at which the fetus is protected.

After several well-publicized cases,

Scott Peterson was convicted of killing his unborn son as well as his wife under California's pre-existing fetal homicide law.[86]

Sentencing guidelines

Arizona

In Arizona, a person is charged with murder when the offender knowingly and intentionally causes the death of a person or unborn child. First-degree murder must be premeditated. In the state of Arizona, if one is found guilty of first-degree murder, there is the possibility of receiving the death penalty, life without the possibility of parole, or life.[87]

California

If a person is convicted of first-degree murder in California, that person may face a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, or the death penalty. At minimum, they will face a sentence of 25 years-to-life in prison, and thus must serve at least 25 years before being eligible for parole.[88] The punishment for the crime of first-degree murder in California is upgraded to a minimum of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole or

execution of the murderer in at least the following circumstances:[89]

  • The murder was intentional and carried out for financial gain
  • Previous conviction of a murder
  • The murder was committed by means of a bomb, destructive device, or poison
  • The victim was a judge, prosecutor, fireman, policeman, juror, or witness
  • The murder was intentional and involved the infliction of torture
  • The murder was committed while the defendant was engaged in, or was an accomplice in, the commission of, attempted commission of, or the immediate flight after committing, or attempting to commit... [various other violent or sexual felonies]
  • The murder was intentional and perpetrated by means of discharging a firearm from a motor vehicle, intentionally at another person or persons outside the vehicle with the intent to inflict death
  • The defendant intentionally killed the victim by means of lying in wait.
  • The victim was intentionally killed because of his or her race, color, religion, nationality, or country of origin.
  • The murder was committed for the purpose of avoiding or preventing a lawful arrest, or perfecting or attempting to perfect, an escape from lawful custody.
  • The defendant intentionally killed the victim while the defendant was an active participant in a criminal street gang, as defined in subdivision (f) of Section 186.22, and the murder was carried out to further the activities of the criminal street gang.

A person convicted of second-degree murder in California will face a sentence of 15 years-to-life in prison, and thus must serve at least 15 years in prison before being eligible for parole.[90]

Punishments are increased if the murder victim was a police officer,[91] or was killed during a drive-by shooting.[92]

If a gun was used during the murder, the punishment will include an additional 10, 20, or 25 years to life prison sentence. Those convicted will also receive a strike on their criminal record, and fines of up to $10,000. They will also have to pay restitution to victims, and will no longer be allowed to own a gun.[93]

Florida