Colorado Springs Manslaughter Lawyer

What is the penalty for manslaughter?

In many cases of murder, the best outcome that the defendant can hope for is to have the charges reduced to manslaughter. This does not mean, however, that manslaughter is not a serious charge in its own right. If you have been accused of manslaughter, you can be convicted for a Class 4 felony and sentenced to pay a fine ranging between $2,000 and $500,000 and to serve between 2 and 6 years in prison. While this may be a lighter penalty than for first- or second-degree murder, it is sufficiently severe that your entire life could be forever changed in the wake of a conviction.

What is the difference between murder and manslaughter?

Murder and manslaughter are both homicide charges and both involve the unlawful killing of another person. The major difference, however, is that murder involves a knowing and even premeditated act, whereas manslaughter is generally an involuntary or even accidental homicide.

It is possible to cause a death without being charged with manslaughter, such as in certain car accidents, but if you are accused of causing the death through actions which can be considered to be reckless, you can face criminal charges. For example, you will most likely be charged with vehicular manslaughter if you are accused of causing a fatal traffic collision while driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol or if you caused the accident through some type of reckless driving.

This may be an overwhelmingly stressful situation for you, but we are ready to put our 100+ years of combined experience to work in helping you navigate your way out of the criminal justice system.