Nashville Murder Lawyer

Whether it’s an accident or not, homicide-related crimes carry some of the stiffest penalties in Tennessee. If someone accuses you of murder, it’s imperative to get the right representation to protect your rights. Jungers Law Firm’s Nashville murder lawyers are standing by to assist you.

Murder Penalties in Nashville

Murder is the unlawful killing of another person with premeditation. Tennessee law allows plaintiffs to file a range of homicide-related charges based on the case circumstances. Here are some of the most common charges:

First-Degree Murder

First-degree murder involves premeditated or intentional killing.Premeditation means the defendant planned the attack, as opposed to doing it spontaneously. The law also allows first-degree murder to stem from different felonies, such as terrorism.

Second-Degree Murder

Second-degree is the intentional killing of another person, but without premeditation. The charge states the perpetrator meant to harm an individual, and their indifference for human life leads to death. Second-degree murder charges in Tennessee can stem from the illegal distribution of Schedule I or II drugs.

Voluntary Manslaughter, Reckless Homicide, and Criminally Negligent Homicide

The third and final category involves less intentional homicide-related crimes. These are classified as voluntary manslaughter, reckless, homicide, or criminally negligent homicide.

• Voluntary manslaughter includes killing in the heat of passion, where the perpetrator has no intention to kill before the event.
• Reckless homicide requires that perpetrator unintentionally take someone else’s life via a reckless act (an act in which they were unaware or did not consider the consequences). A typical example is texting while driving and inadvertently killing a pedestrian.
• Criminally negligent homicide is the opposite of reckless homicide, as the perpetrator is aware of the riskor reasonably should have been aware of it. However, the death must still be unintentional. For instance, if two people are hunting, and one person gets shot, but the other does not call for medical assistance, resulting in that person’s death.

Penalties of Murder Conviction

The penalties for murder vary based on the degree. For example, a first-degree murder conviction carries life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty. Other homicide-related sentences include:

• Second-degree murder: 15 to 40 years
• Voluntary manslaughter: 3 to 15 years
• Reckless homicide: 2 to 12 years
• Criminally negligent homicide: 1 to 6 years

Murder is a felony in Tennessee. First-degree murder carries the most weight as a class A felony, and the levels go down to class E felonies. The felony type corresponds with sentence length, with class A carrying the longest prison sentence and class E carrying the shortest.

Fighting a Murder Charge

A Nashville murder lawyer will recommend several possible defenses, based on the circumstances of the case. Many people use justifiable killing or self-defense, claiming they were in a life-threatening situation and had no choice but to kill.

Other defenses include mental disorders, impairment, and heat of passion. Call Jungers Law Firm to work with a top murder lawyer in Nashville. Our team will find the strongest caseand bolster your chances of winning.