Actions that cause physical harm to other people are often crimes. The law in Tennessee makes it illegal to intentionally injure another person. State prosecutors can also bring charges against someone for their involvement in another person’s death even if their injury wasn’t the intention of the person accused.
Depending on the circumstances surrounding someone’s premature mortality, Tennessee state prosecutors can bring a variety of different charges. Many people already feeling panicked about potential prosecution become frustrated by the confusing jargon used by legal professionals. For example, people may not immediately understand what separates homicide from murder and murder from manslaughter.
What is the distinction between homicide, murder and manslaughter in Tennessee?
Homicide is a blanket term
Homicide is a generic term intended to reference any scenario where one person directly causes the death of another. Both murder and manslaughter can technically be subsets of homicide. There are several homicide charges that Tennessee prosecutors can pursue. They can charge someone with criminally negligent homicide, reckless homicide or vehicular homicide. There wasn’t an intention to harm or kill someone, but they are still culpable for the consequences of their actions.
Manslaughter is less severe than murder
When someone is accused of causing another person’s death, the state may pursue a manslaughter charge. Manslaughter falls into two separate categories, involuntary and voluntary.
Involuntary manslaughter involves someone causing another person’s death through negligence or oversights. Meanwhile, voluntary manslaughter is closer to murder. It involves someone committing a crime of passion that results in another person dying. Murder charges also come in a variety of different degrees. If the state charges someone with murder, the formal allegation is that the defendant intended to cause the death of another person. Whether the decision was spontaneous or premeditated can influence the penalties imposed and the specific charges that prosecutors pursue. Any charge related to homicide can lead to both life-altering penalties and a serious criminal record.
Learning about Tennessee murder and manslaughter statute can help people understand their circumstances. An informed defense can make all the difference for those accused of a violent crime.
