Indianapolis Murder Defense Lawyer
When you think of violent crimes, murder likely comes to mind, and rightfully so. Murder is a serious event that involves taking someone else’s life. While murder is often pre-meditated, meaning that the person had planned to kill someone, a person can still be charged with murder even if they did not intend to kill another person.
Murder is a felony crime that comes with the most severe criminal penalties possible. A person can spend the rest of their life in prison. In Indiana, the crime of murder can also result in the death penalty. However, this does not happen often, as the death penalty is available for murder only if the prosecution an “aggravating circumstance.” There are 18 identified by the Indiana General Assembly.
As you can see, there’s a lot at stake. Seek legal help from the team at Rigney Law LLC right away so we can vigorously fight your case. Schedule a consultation with our Indianapolis murder defense lawyer today.
Murder Charges
Under Indiana law, murder is defined as knowingly or intentionally killing another human being. A person can also be charged with murder if someone dies while they are committing a serious felony, such as arson, burglary, robbery, child molestation, kidnapping, rape, robbery, human trafficking, drug dealing, or carjacking. Murder is a degree of felony on its own under state law and it carries significant penalties. A person who is convicted of murder can potentially face 45-65 years in prison.
Voluntary manslaughter is another type of murder charge. This type of crime is not premeditated and is instead committed in the heat of the moment. An example would be a man catching their spouse cheating on them and killing the cheating spouse. This is considered a Level 2 felony, which can result in 10-30 years in prison.
Voluntary manslaughter is another type of murder. Again, it is not premeditated, so the penalties are not as severe. It occurs when a person kills another human being while attempting to commit another crime that poses a risk of serious bodily injury. For example, if a person is driving drunk and causes an accident that kills someone, this would be Involuntary manslaughter. It is a Level 5 felony that can result in 1-6 years in prison.
Reckless Homicide
Reckless homicide occurs when a person recklessly kills another human being. It is the least serious type of murder. A common example is a person playing with a loaded gun and accidentally killing someone when the gun discharges. It is a Level 5 felony that can result in 1-6 years in prison.
Contact Rigney Law LLC Today
Murder is one of the most serious and violent crimes a person can be accused of. If you are facing such accusations, you need aggressive legal help on your side as soon as possible.
There’s a lot on the line. Contact Rigney Law LLC for a strong defense today. To schedule a consultation with our Indianapolis murder defense lawyer, call (317) 623-0989 or fill out the online form.
