Murder

Murder is one of the highest charges in New York state and if you or someone you know has been charged with murder in the first, second or aggravated murder you will need an attorney who is on your side and willing to work hard for you in order to obtain the best possible outcome. Our experienced team of New York criminal attorneys are ready to take your call and begin formulating your defense to these charges, so call our office now.

Even in its lower form, murder in the second degree is still as class A-II felony, meaning that if convicted, you could be facing 25 years in prison for this offense. To be charged with this offense, a person would have acted with intent to cause the death of another and in doing so actually causes their death or the death of a third person. Further, if they act showing depraved indifference to human life and recklessly partake in conduct that creates a grave risk of death and as a result causes such death, this offense applies.

If a person, either acting alone or with a group, attempts to commit or commits numerated offenses such as robbery or burglary and in the course of, in furtherance or in the immediate flight they or another participant causes the death of a someone other than any of the participants, it is also murder in the second. Finally, the last two ways for this offense to be charged are a person over eighteen showing depraved indifference to life and engaging in reckless conduct causing the death of another or while in the course of committing rape, aggravated sexual assault or incest against a person under fourteen and they cause the death of such person.

Both aggravated murder and murder in the first degree are both A-I felonies, which means that the court has the discretion to apply a life sentence upon conviction. Aggravated murder applies when the intended victim is a police or peace officer, EMT, ambulance driver, paramedic, physician or registered nurse and were performing in their line of official duties at the time they were killed. Additionally, if the offender is over eighteen and intentionally causes the death of a person less than fourteen and acted in a such a way that was especially cruel and wanton to inflict torture upon the victim.

Murder in the first degree is chargeable when the offender was confined in a state correctional institution at the time of the killing, if the victim was a witness to a prior crime and their death was caused in order to prevent them from testifying, if the death was the result of an agreement between two people for the death of a third, or if the defendant had previously been convicted of murder. Additionally, if the victim was killed while the offender was in the course of committing numerated offenses in section 1-vii of the statute, the death of two or more persons was intentionally caused in separate transactions, the victim was a judge or was killed in furtherance of an act of terrorism.

Any type of murder charge is incredibly serious and needs to be handled right away. Call now to speak to someone on our team of experienced New York criminal attorneys and let us begin working on your case.