Rancho Cucamonga Homicide Attorney
What are homicide charges?
Homicide is the general term which refers to a person killing another human being. Homicide is not always a criminal act. Actions such as self-defense, defending your home against an invader, or killing someone to prevent a felony, could all be a non-criminal homicide.
There are several major types of criminal homicide. The state of mind of the person committing the act and the specific laws of the government determine the type of crime. Murder and manslaughter are the two most common types of homicide. Additionally, if one commits a felony such as kidnapping, certain drug crimes and other violent crimes, and a homicide occurs during the commission of this felony, this can bring a felony murder charge into play.
A knowledgeable Rancho Cucamonga criminal defense lawyer will help you to understand the charges filed against you or a loved one. In our firm, Chung & Ignacio, LLP we work aggressively to fight for the rights of those accused of any type of homicide. Our experience has proven that anyone accused of homicide will need the protection of a skilled and relentless defense lawyer in order to successfully defend against the charges.
Murder and Manslaughter
If you have been accused of murder, the fundamental element of this crime is that your actions were done intentionally with malice aforethought. This differs from manslaughter which is when a defendant is considered to have no malicious thought beforehand of killing a person.
Manslaughter is broken down into two main categories, voluntary and involuntary. Voluntary manslaughter is frequently thought of as a crime of passion, done in the heat of moment, where a person had no prior intent to kill. Involuntary manslaughter is an unintentional killing of another, such as a DUI or hunting accident that results in the death of a person.
Any conviction of a homicide charge will carry stiff penalties that can include imprisonment, large fines, mandatory restitution, a permanent record, parole and probation. The final result can be as harsh as decades in jail, a life sentence without the possibility of parole or the death penalty. With these life changing consequences in front of you, we want to lead the fight to protect your rights.
If homicide charges have been filed against you, immediately contact a Rancho Cucamonga homicide attorney for knowledgeable assistance.
