Any felony charges in the state of New York require a solid criminal defense, but some offenses are worse than others. If the authorities charge you with a crime involving the loss of life, you should consider yourself in serious trouble.
Depending on the details of the incident, the authorities may charge you with murder or manslaughter. Learning about the differences between these two offenses empowers you to create an appropriate defense.
New York first degree murder charges
As you may know, there are several degrees of murder, each of them quite severe. To highlight how seriously you should approach any murder charge, we have provided information about first degree murder charges.
As a class A-I felony, the possible consequences of a first degree murder conviction include imprisonment for 20 to 25 years or life imprisonment without parole. A death sentence may also be possible in some cases, but this is a rare occurrence.
New York voluntary manslaughter charges
In our state, you can face voluntary or involuntary manslaughter charges. As you might expect, voluntary manslaughter is the worst of these two offenses. A conviction for voluntary manslaughter usually results in a five-to-25-year prison term as well as fines approaching $5,000.
If you face a conviction for aggravated first-degree manslaughter, you can expect a prison sentence of 10 to 30 years. In most cases, this elevated charge arises when the defendant’s alleged actions caused the death of a law enforcement officer.
You can improve your situation enormously by learning more about violent felony crimes involving the loss of another person’s life. The more facts you know about murder and manslaughter in New York, the better your odds of acquiring the most favorable outcome in your case.