Murder, homicide, and other related crimes are very serious offenses that are common in Prince William, Virginia. If you have been charged with or investigated for murder and homicide in this state then it is better that you must contact an experienced and trusted lawyer. According to the 2010 crime report, the murder is defined as the killing of one person by another person.
Murder is also defined as the willful killing of one person by another person. If a person kills a person in negligence then it is called as manslaughter. There are many types of murders that occur in Prince William such as the capital murder, accidental murders, the first and the second class murders, and the killing of a fetus or the pregnant woman. In this article, Prince William Virginia murder laws will be discussed in detail. Let’s have a look.
The Capital Murder
In section 18.2-13, capital murder is defined in complete detail. In fact, capital murder is the willful, premeditated and deliberate killing of the person. There are some clear situations that are described in this section and they are described as below.
- Kidnapping a person with an intention to ask money from family.
- Actions of a person like a hired murderer.
- Killing a person in prison.
- The organized killing.
- The killing of a pregnant woman or the fetus.
- Murder of the witnesses involved in the criminal case.
- Killing the judge.
The charges for the capital murder the harshest charges that you can experience and the conviction of this crime can lead to death. The capital murder lawyer can guide you will and can provide the best evaluation of your charges.
First and the Second Degree Murder
The section in which the first and the second-degree murder are outlined is 18.2-32. If it is not a capital murder then the killing of one person by another person comes under this classification. The situations of first-degree murder can be starving, poisoning, imprisonment, and lying in wait. It can come with situations like robbery, rape, and attempting any of these crimes. Second-degree murder is a murder that is not the first-degree murder and the capital murder. According to Prince William Virginia murder laws, the charge of this murder can be 5 to 40 years in jail along with a certain amount of fine.
The Murder of the Pregnant Women
The conditions of this murder are stated in the section 18.2-32.1. According to this, when a person kills a pregnant woman willfully and also without premeditation. He also knows that the woman is pregnant and he may have the intentions to end up her pregnancy. This person can be sentenced to jail for 10 to 40 years. The killing of the unborn and the born babies also comes under this section and are defined in 18.2-32.2 and 3. It is definitely a serious offense and the baby is considered as a separate from the mother no matter the umbilical cord is attached or not. The person can be sent to jail for 40 years.