voluntary manslaughter
Heat-of-passion homicide
Voluntary manslaughter is the unlawful killing of another person without premeditation, typically committed in the heat of passion or under circumstances that would cause a reasonable person to lose self-control.
Unlike murder, it lacks the element of prior intent—the classic case being a spouse who discovers infidelity and immediately kills in a rage.
The charge was reduced from murder to voluntary manslaughter.
- heat of passionIntense temporary emotional disturbance
- reduced chargeDiminished legal accusation
- second degreeMiddle severity ranking
- killingCausing death deliberately
- homicideCausing another's death
murder · provocation · loss of control · mitigating circumstances · unlawful killing · intentional killing · reckless conduct · criminal negligence · impulse control · legal justification · criminal defense · guilty plea · cooling off period · temporary insanity · crime of passion · self-defense claim · emotional disturbance · shooting
- homicide lawhomicide, murder charge, first-degree murder, second-degree murder, felony murder
- killingshomicide, murder for hire, killing, assassination, first-degree murder
voluntary manslaughterpremeditated murder
Deliberate, planned killing
first-degree murder · involuntary manslaughter · contract killing · murder in the first degree · negligent homicide
voluntary manslaughterjustifiable homicide
Legally sanctioned taking of life
self-defense killing · defense of others · acquittal · not guilty
voluntary, voluntarily, volunteer, volunteered, volunteering, volunteers, involuntary, involuntarily, volitional