Committing Involuntary Manslaughter
People often hear of the terms first and second-degree murder and sometimes also manslaughter. However, there is another crime as well, which is called involuntary manslaughter. This charge can be used in California if a person unintentionally kills another person while acting unlawfully. If you have been accused of, or arrested for, involuntary manslaughter, you should immediately contact one of our experienced criminal attorneys and they will help defend your case.
How does Involuntary Manslaughter Occur?
Involuntary manslaughter is different from an accidental death. If a person dies and no one else is at fault, even if they were present, that is not this crime. Instead, the legal elements are as follows: the defendant must have been committing a crime (but not a felony) or performing a lawful act in an unlawful way, the defendant must have committed the previous element with criminal negligence, and the defendant’s action resulted in the death of the person in question. The prosecutor on the case must prove the aforementioned elements in order for the defendant to be found guilty.
What Happens if You are Convicted?
An involuntary manslaughter conviction can result in severe criminal penalties. In fact, a conviction will result in a felony. The defendant may spend up to four years in jail and pay large fines to the court. Furthermore, an involuntary manslaughter record can have negative ramifications beyond just jail time. This is why we highly encourage all those accused of this crime to seek the immediate counsel of an experienced lawyer. Without one, it will be exponentially harder to fight your case.
