Norcross Manslaughter Defense Attorneys

There are two types of manslaughter charges in Georgia, and both are considered serious offenses.

Taking the life of another person is an offense that goes by many different names in Georgia. Murder, homicide, and manslaughter are all terms that refer to killing another person. Homicide refers to any act that involves unlawfully killing another person. When the act is done with malice, it is considered murder, while crimes that do not involve malice are referred to as manslaughter. Manslaughter is further broken down into two different offenses, which are voluntary and involuntary. Anyone facing these charges should speak to a Georgia manslaughter lawyer for help with their case.

Voluntary Manslaughter

There are certain elements of the crime of murder in Georgia, such as malicious intent.Voluntary manslaughter meets these elements, but the circumstances of the crime involve a person taking someone else’s life suddenly and with passion after being provoked. Taking someone’s life suddenly and with passion means that a person could not have premeditated the killing before it happened.

For voluntary manslaughter charges to apply, there also cannot have been a significant amount of time between the act of provocation and the killing. Whether or not a significant amount of time passed is typically left to a jury to decide. The courts have found in the past that while a 5 to 15-minute period of time is not significant enough, a day or a week likely is. If enough time had passed between the two events, the offense will likely be charged as murder.

Voluntary manslaughter is considered a felony in Georgia, punishable by a prison term of at least 1 year but not more than 20 years.

Involuntary Manslaughter

Involuntary manslaughter is the act of killing another person without the intention of doing so. The killing can occur when a person is committing an unlawful act that is not a felony, or by committing a lawful act in an unlawful manner that is likely to cause death.

The act that resulted in the death has great bearing on whether the offense is charged as a felony or misdemeanor. When the act was not lawful, the crime is a felony that is punishable by 1 to 10 years in prison. When the act that resulted in death was lawful but likely to result in death, the offense is considered a misdemeanor. The penalties may include jail time, high fines, and other penalties. The judge in involuntary manslaughter cases has great discretion when determining the sentence the accused will face if convicted.

Our Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyers Can Help with Your Charges

Manslaughter is a serious offense in Georgia, regardless of what type of charges you are facing. If you have been charged with this offense, ourNorcross criminal defense lawyers at Zimmerman & Associates can help. There are multiple defenses to both of these charges, and we will use any and all of them to give you the best chance of beating the charges. Call us today at (770) 350-0100 or contact us online to schedule a meeting with one of our attorneys.