Second Degree Murder - Law Dictionary Search Results
Home Dictionary Name: second degree murdersecond-degree murder
second-degree murder see murder ...
murder
murder [partly from Old English morthor; partly from Old French murdre, of Germanic origin] the crime of unlawfully and unjustifiably killing another under circumstances defined by statute (as with premeditation) ;esp such a crime committed purposely, knowingly, and recklessly with extreme indifference to human life or during the course of a serious felony (as robbery or rape) compare cold blood, cooling time, homicide, manslaughter NOTE: Self-defense, necessity, and lack of capacity for criminal responsibility (as because of insanity) are defenses to a charge of murder. Most state statutes and the U.S. Code divide murder into two degrees. Florida, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania currently have three degrees of murder. Some states do not assign degrees of murder. [di-pr?vd-h rt-] a murder that is the result of an act which is dangerous to others and shows that the perpetrator has a depraved mind and no regard for human life NOTE: Depraved-heart murder is usually considered second- or...
second degree
second degree : the grade given to the second most serious forms of crimes [assault in the second degree] second-degree adj ...
first-degree murder
first-degree murder see murder ...
third-degree murder
third-degree murder see murder ...
principal in the second degree
principal in the second degree see principal ...
degree
degree 1 : a step in a direct line of descent or in the line of ascent to a common ancestor 2 a : a measure of the seriousness of a crime see also fifth degree, first degree, fourth degree, second degree, third degree NOTE: Crimes are rated by degrees for the purpose of imposing more severe punishments for more serious crimes. b : a measure of care ;also : a measure of negligence esp. in connection with bailments see also care, negligence ...
Murder
Murder [fr. morthor, morthen, Sax.; murdrum, Low Lat.]. It is thus defined by Coke (3 Inst. 47): 'When a person of sound memory and discretion unlawfully killeth any reasonable creature in being, with malice aforethought, either express or implied'; see 4 Bl. Com. 195. Consult Russell on Crimes; Arch. Cr. Pl.; Steph. Dig.(1) The person committing the offence must be conscious of doing wrong, and able to discern between good and evil. See IDIOT; LUNATIC; DRUNKENNESS AND MACNAUGHTON'S CASE.(2) Death must result within a year and a day after the cause of death administered, see R. v. Dyson, (1908) 2 KB 454.(3) The person killed must be a reasonable creature in being, and under the king's peace.(4) The killing must be with malice aforethought, express or implied, and malice is implied from the perpetration of any felony, however absent from the mind of the perpetrator any intention to kill may be. When the act by which death is caused is done with the intention of causing death (See Indian...
accessory
accessory also ac·ces·sa·ry [ik-se-sə-rē, ak-] n pl: -ries [Medieval Latin accessorius subordinate matter, accomplice to a crime, from Latin accedere to go to, agree, assent] 1 : a person who is not actually or constructively present but with criminal intent contributes as an assistant or instigator to the commission of a felony called also accessory before the fact compare principal in the second degree at principal NOTE: The traditional distinction between accessories before the fact and principals, that accessories were not present and principals were present at the commission of the crime, is not recognized under most modern state statutes. Accessories before the fact are usually considered principals. 2 : a person who knowing that a felony has been committed aids, assists, or shelters the offender with the intent to defeat justice called also accessory after the fact NOTE: Many state statutes now omit the term accessory after the fact and instead c...
Piracy
Piracy [fr. pirata, Lat.], the commission of those acts of robbery and violence upon the sea, which if committed upon land wold amount to felony. Pirates hold no commission or delegated authority from any sovereign or State, empowering them to attack others. They can, therefore, be only regarded in the light of robbers. They are, as Cicero has truly stated, the common enemies of all (communes hostes omnium); and the law of nations gives to every one the right to pursue and exterminate them without any previous declaration of war (see Piracy Jure Gentium, 1934, AC 586, where a frustrated attempt was held to be piracy by that law); but it is not allowed to kill them without trial, except in battle. Those who surrender or are taken prisoners must be brought before the proper magistrates, and dealt with according to law. By the ancient Common Law of England, piracy, if committed by a subject, was held to be a species of treason, being contrary to his natural allegiance; if by an alien, to ...
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