Murder

Murder and other first degree felony crimes are punishable by decades behind bars, life in prison, or even the death sentence in Florida. Felony murder, which is caused by predicate felony (there was an intent to cause a felony in the first place), is a capital felony and the only two punishments are life in prison or the death penalty. The lawyers at the Tison Law Group have experience in defending clients that have been charged with violent crimes and have extensive experience helping those that have been charged with murder and homicide. If you have been charged with one of these crimes, don’t hesitate to call today to get our law firm working on your case immediately. The sooner we can gather evidence and talk to witnesses, expert witnesses, and character witnesses, the better chances we have of winning your case or making a deal to reduce your sentence.

Types of Murder and Homicide Charges

First degree murder is murder that has malice aforethought (the intent to kill or harm) and is premeditated. That means that there was a plan in place to carry out the murder and it was not on a whim. A felony murder (a death that occurred because of a premeditated felony, such as robbing a convenience store) is also usually a first degree murder even though the intent was not necessarily to commit a murder. First degree murder is a capital felony under Statute 782.04, and life in prison or the death penalty may be pursued.

Second degree murder is murder that has malice aforethought but was not premeditated. An example of this could be a bar fight in which it was proven that the defendant purposefully picked a fight and killed another, and did not do so using self defense. Second degree murder may be punishable by up to 30 years in prison.

Third degree murder or voluntary manslaughter (and also called a crime of passion) is an intentionally killing on the spur of the moment that was proven to have occurred under circumstances that would cause a reasonable person to become emotionally or mentally disturbed. A classic example of this is a person walking in on their partner in bed with another person and killing them right in that moment. If, however, they had time to think about the murder for a day and committed it at a later time, it would be considered first degree murder. A third degree murder is a second degree felony, and is punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a fine of $10,000, according to statute 775.082.

Involuntary manslaughter is the killing of another that was caused by negligence, such as a lack of attention while driving. Driving under the influence or texting while driving and hitting a child crossing at a crosswalk would be examples of involuntary manslaughter.

Contact an Experienced Tampa Murder Attorney for Help

No matter the charge, the state takes in other variables into account, such as the age of the victim, the state of mind the defendant was in, or the past convictions of the defendant. We will help show the court your side of the story and fight for your freedom and future. Call the Tampa murder lawyers at the Tison Law Group today for a consultation.