We’ll admit that the letter of the law can be just a bit complicated at times, and sifting through the penal code can be a hassle. In this post, we’re going to explain charges for the crime of murder in the first degree.

Murder in the first degree

As you might’ve seen in our other posts, there are a couple ways that you can be considered guilty of this particular crime. First of all, you’d have to cause the death of someone else with the intent to do so. If that happens, you need an NYC criminal attorney who can help you. Along with that, you’d also have to have either killed a police officer who was on duty while knowing this was the case, or killed a peace officer who was performing their duties, and you knew this was also the case, or if the victim was a firefighter, ambulance driver, physician, or other type of healthcare professional who was doing their job at the time of the killing, and you knew they were doing this. Another way to be considered guilty of this would be if the intended victim was an employee of a correctional facility, was doing their job, and you killed them knowing this was the case, or if you were in a correctional facility at the time of the killing and were sentenced for a term of your natural life, or on a sentence that had a minimum of fifteen years and the maximum was natural life, or if you’d escaped prison for such a sentence and then committed the crime. Another way this would apply would be if the victim was a witness to an earlier crime and you killed them in order to prevent them from exposing you in court, or if the victim had previously testified and this killing was done out of retribution, or the victim was a family member of a witness to a crime and the killing was done to influence the witness’s testimony, or even if the victim was a family member of someone who already testified against you and this was done as retribution.
There are a few other ways that you could be considered guilty of this crime. That would be if you committed the killing because of an agreement that someone else that they’d commit the same crime for you, or if you expected some sort of gain from this killing, or if you killed this person while you were committing or attempting to commit robbery, kidnapping, burglary, or other similar charges, or if you killed someone while trying to escape the scene of the crime of one of these previously mentioned crimes. This is all provided that the victim wasn’t participating in one of the crimes with you. Also, you’d be guilty of this if you caused the death of an additional person while engaged in this crime, or if you’d been convicted of murder before committing this killing. Lastly, you’d have to be over eighteen at the time of the crime to be guilty of murder in the first degree.
Now there are a few affirmative defenses that fall under this charge. One of these is if you acted under the influence of some extreme kind of emotional disturbance that there was a reasonable cause for. Another way would be if your conduct consisted of either causing or aiding someone else to commit suicide. Murder in the first degree is considered to be a class A-I felony.
So yes, the law can at times be complicated, confusing, even convoluted. That doesn’t mean, however, that it can’t be understood and used in your favor.  So if you’re facing some sort of legal trouble, or think that you might face something like this in the future, it would be best for you to get in touch with someone here at the firm. It’ll really be the best thing you do today.

NY Penal Law 125.25 Murder in the Second Degree

Let’s face it: When it comes to the letter of the law, the mountain of legalese you’ll find can often be very complicated and confusing. But just because it can be this way doesn’t mean it has to be this way. So in this post, we’re going to take a look at murder in the second degree and aggravated murder.

Murder in the second degree.

There are a few ways you can be considered to be guilty of murder in the second degree. One of these ways is if you cause the death of someone else with the intent to do so. The only thing is, there are a few affirmative defenses against this. These would come into play if you acted under the influence of some sort of extreme emotional disturbance that there was a reasonable cause for, which would be determined in your situation as you figured these circumstances to be. Another affirmative defense would be if your actual conduct somehow consisted of either causing or helping someone else to commit suicide.
So now that we’ve gotten those two affirmative defenses out of the way, let’s look at some more ways you could be considered guilty of this crime. Under some sort of circumstances that “evince a depraved indifference to human life,” you’d have to recklessly engage in something that creates some grave risk of death for someone else, and then actually cause that person’s death. Another way to be considered guilty would be if you commit or try to commit burglary, robbery, arson, rape, kidnapping, or other similar crimes either alone or with someone else, and then either during the crime or while escaping the crime scene, you or someone you’re acting with causes the death of someone else. In this case, it’d be an affirmative defense if you didn’t commit the actual act or in some way help the commission of the crime, and if you weren’t armed with a deadly weapon, or else some sort of substance or instrument that could cause death or serious injury. Also, if you had no reason to believe that anyone else you’re with was carrying a weapon, or if you had no reason to believe that anyone else you were with intended to engage in some sort of conduct that would actually cause death or serious injury. This particular crime will have you looking at a class A-I felony.

Aggravated murder

Now we’re going to be looking at aggravated murder. You’re considered guilty of this crime if you cause the death of someone else with, of course, the intent to do so, or if you killed someone under certain provisions of the law who was carrying out their official duties, or even if they were a police officer who was performing their duties at the time and you knew they were in fact a police officer, or if the victim was a peace officer who was performing their duties while you knew they were doing so, or if the victim was either a firefighter, paramedic, physician, or other sort of healthcare professional who was performing their duties while you knew they were doing this. Another way would be if the victim was an employee of a correctional facility who, again, was performing their duties while you were conscious of this fact. Now in order to be guilty of this, you’d have to be older than eighteen at the time of the crime. Yet another way to be guilty of this is to have killed someone who’s younger than fourteen with the intent to do so, and especially if you acted in an “especially cruel and wanton manner” and inflicted some sort of torture before the victim died. Aggravated murder is considered a class A-I felony.
As you can see, it’s important to fully understand the nature of the law before seeking counsel for some sort of legal issue you might be facing. While the law can at times be confusing, it doesn’t necessarily have to be that way. So get in touch with us today and we’ll get started on helping you out of your situation. It’ll be the best thing you do today.

Demystifying First Degree Murder Charges

Let’s face it, the letter of the law can sometimes be overwhelmingly complicated and frustrating to deal with, especially when it comes to understanding serious criminal charges. In this post, we will shed light on the daunting subject of first-degree murder charges and help you better comprehend the various ways one can be found guilty of this heinous crime.

Understanding First Degree Murder

First and foremost, causing the death of another person with the intent to do so constitutes the central criteria for being considered guilty of first-degree murder. However, there are additional circumstances that can elevate a murder charge to this level. Examples include killing an on-duty police officer or peace officer with the knowledge of their professional status, or causing the death of a firefighter, ambulance driver, physician, or other healthcare professional who was performing their duties at the time of the killing.

Other potential scenarios leading to first-degree murder charges include killing a victim who was a witness to an earlier crime to prevent them from exposing you in court, or killing a family member of a witness to a crime with the intention to influence their testimony. Likewise, murdering someone while attempting to commit other serious crimes such as robbery, kidnapping, and burglary can also result in first-degree murder charges, provided the victim was not participating in the crime with you.

Keep in mind that to be guilty of first-degree murder, the perpetrator must be over the age of eighteen at the time the crime was committed. A variety of affirmative defenses can potentially apply under this charge, such as acting under the influence of an extreme emotional disturbance or causing or aiding someone else to commit suicide. Nonetheless, first-degree murder is classified as a class A-I felony.

If you find yourself facing such dire legal trouble, or anticipate possible issues relating to first-degree murder charges in the future, seek assistance from a knowledgeable and experienced criminal attorney who can guide you through the labyrinth of legal complexities and fervently defend your case.

Decoding Second Degree Murder and Aggravated Murder

Murder in the Second Degree

An individual can be found guilty of second-degree murder if they cause the death of someone else with the intent to do so. There are several affirmative defenses against this charge, including acting under the influence of extreme emotional disturbance or causing or aiding someone else to commit suicide. Furthermore, if the actions leading to the death display a “depraved indifference to human life” and recklessly cause a grave risk of death for another person, this can also result in a second-degree murder charge.

Similar to first-degree murder, if the death occurs during the commission of other serious crimes such as robbery, kidnapping, arson, rape, or burglary, the perpetrator may be found guilty of second-degree murder. In this case, affirmative defenses also apply if the accused did not commit or help in the commission of the crime and was not armed with a deadly weapon or substance and had no reason to believe anyone else involved was armed or intended to cause death or serious injury. Second-degree murder constitutes a class A-I felony.

Aggravated Murder

Aggravated murder involves causing the death of someone else with the intent to do so, usually involving specific victims or circumstances. For instance, if someone kills a law enforcement officer, peace officer, or other designated professional while they were performing their official duties and knowing their professional status. In this case, the murderer must be over the age of eighteen to be found guilty.

Another scenario that can lead to an aggravated murder charge is the brutal killing of a child under the age of fourteen, especially when the perpetrator inflicts torture before causing the child’s death in an “especially cruel and wanton manner.” Aggravated murder is classified as a class A-I felony.

In summary, understanding the intricacies of the law is paramount when facing serious legal issues such as murder charges. Do not allow the complexity of the law to deter you. Instead, reach out to a proficient and compassionate legal professional who can help untangle the legal jargon and passionately advocate on your behalf. Getting the help you need could make all the difference in the outcome of your case.