Questions tagged [homicide]
The act of a human being causing the death of another human being.
41
questions
31
votes
1
answer
10k
views
Would it be legal according to the laws of war if Ukrainian forces killed Putin in Moscow?
We know pretty well where Putin will be on May 9: He will be the guest of honor at the Moscow victory day parade. As president, he is the commander in chief of the Russian armed forces.
If the ...
- 4,747
14
votes
2
answers
5k
views
Is homicide by misadventure illegal?
Recently I was looking over the definitions of the different types of homicides and I came across the term “homicide by misadventure.” This is when somebody accidentally kills somebody else while ...
14
votes
2
answers
3k
views
What is the difference between "murder", "manslaughter" and "homicide"?
Do "murder", "manslaughter" and "homicide" have different legal definitions? Or are they just terms referring to the same act used in different jurisdictions?
- 1,703
13
votes
4
answers
7k
views
If a person is dressed up as non-human, and is killed by someone who sincerely believes the victim was not human, who is responsible?
I've seen several videos about pranks when someone dresses up as a zombie or other kind of monster, to scare people. I would assume that if such an actor dressed up as a monster suddenly attacks ...
- 894
13
votes
1
answer
6k
views
Does murdering the President of the United States differ, as a crime, from regular murder?
So, the prospect of siccing a semper tyrannis on the current POTUS has been discussed for the past quarter millennium or so. This has left me wondering, what sort of laws are there against murdering, ...
- 583
13
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Is it legal in California to use lethal force to stop ANY felony from being committed?
According to California Penal Code Section 197
197. Homicide is also justifiable when committed by any person in any of the following cases:
When resisting any attempt to murder any person, or to ...
- 363
13
votes
2
answers
8k
views
Which state has jurisdiction in a case of a murder in an airplane?
A murder happened in an airplane flying from country A to country B when crossing above country C.
Who will have jurisdiction?
Bonus question: What if countries A, B and C are members of the ...
- 233
11
votes
2
answers
1k
views
If two gunmen are in a standoff, can either of them kill the other and claim self defense in the USA?
Because of recent news about the Kenosha shootings, and people claiming the shooter might walk free because he can claim self-defense, I've started wondering this question. I've seen pictures of ...
- 163
9
votes
1
answer
226
views
How long does provocation remain relevant in physical crimes?
In the Rittenhouse case, the prosecution ended up going with "provocation" as being at the core of their argument as to why they believe Rittenhouse "provoked" Rosenbaum into ...
- 922
7
votes
1
answer
719
views
How might a defense attorney use the fact that the accused was coerced? Examples from the movie Se7en
SPOILER ALERT FOR THE WHOLE MOVIE. THIS GIVES AWAY THE ENDING.
In the film Se7en directed by David Fincher, a killer, J Doe, obsessed with the seven deadly sins carries out a grisly series of murders ...
- 789
4
votes
1
answer
613
views
What would have happened to Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in real life?
In Lethal Weapon 2, the bad guy — if memory serves, a diplomat from South Africa — commits a bunch of crimes. Then, as he's getting away on a yacht, he taunts the policemen characters played by Mel ...
- 1,611
4
votes
2
answers
214
views
Can someone be liable if they make someone so angry they die?
Alice and Bob are having an argument on the internet about the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory adaptations- specifically which had better oompah loompahs. While Alice prefers the later ones from the ...
- 4,684
3
votes
1
answer
515
views
If a 12 year old child uses his mother's car without her consent
A 12 year old child uses his parent's car without her consent. He loses control over the steering wheel and hits his twin brother, which causes his brother's death.
In this case, who is held ...
- 131
3
votes
1
answer
288
views
Jumping out of the burning building
Let's imagine there is a building on fire. And a girl is trapped on a 3rd floor. She jumps out of a window cause this is the only way to escape and lands on a fireman who just came to the site.
And.. ...
3
votes
2
answers
258
views
How does "mistake of fact" apply as defense in the Amber Guyger Case?
Amber Guyger was convicted of murder: entering the apartment of Bothum Jean and shooting him. She claimed she thought she was in her apartment. How would a defense of "mistake of fact" apply in said ...
- 6,955
3
votes
1
answer
365
views
Can I sue the government because a minor on probation committed homicide?
My father was killed by a teenager last year in TN, USA. We are still in the one year statue of limitation for wrongful death civil suit. The suspect has been transferred to adult court and the ...
- 41
3
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Who has authority to determine whether death was natural, accidental, suicidal, or homicidal?
My understanding is that generally (and in broad strokes) it is the responsibility and authority of a jurisdiction's Coroner (a.k.a. Medical Examiner) to determine the cause and manner of any death ...
- 21.7k
3
votes
2
answers
175
views
How long does a killing need to be premediated to be called a murder?
In many legislations throughout the world, the act of intentionally killing a person had varied legal consequences, depending on the circumstances. For example, a person planning to kill their ...
- 763
3
votes
1
answer
277
views
If you are not Russian or Ukrainian, would it be legal to kill Putin in the laws applicable to citizens of a NATO/EU member state?
It would certainly be dangerous, and people can debate whether or not that would work, but say you shot Putin near St Petersburg through the head with a sniper rifle, and slipped away on a speedboat ...
- 841
3
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Legal implications of this prank going horribly wrong?
I remembered coming across this comic from Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal.
In this comic, Tommy replaces his boss' gun with a fake that just shoots out a "Bang!" flag. Later, he breaks into his ...
- 619
2
votes
4
answers
881
views
Could a state legalize murder?
Could a state decriminalize killing other people in all cases? (Obviously they wouldn't and shouldn't, but could they legally/constitutionally?)
- 13.7k
2
votes
3
answers
308
views
How does the US legal system treat car accidents with pedestrian casualties?
2 years ago in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a guy was driving 105 km/h (max allowed 60) through red light and killed two teenage girls on crosswalk. He didn't even bother to stop. Instead, he called his ...
- 129
2
votes
1
answer
333
views
How is this not attempted murder?
I am confused by this story. Someone fired a bullet, but it was stopped by a cop's belt. The shooter was not charged with attempted murder. Why might that be?
- 283
2
votes
1
answer
358
views
Negligent or Reckless homicide?
Case:
X is the leader of a spiritual cult. X believes that X can heal the sick by killing them with a knife and then bringing them back to life as a “new human being.” X has never actually performed ...
1
vote
2
answers
572
views
Why isn't voluntary manslaughter punished equally to murder?
I can't wrap my head around the fact that in many legal systems, the punishment for "voluntary manslaughter" (or similar) is different than the punishment for "first degree murder" (or similar).
Some ...
1
vote
3
answers
414
views
(How) Can Person A grant immunity to Person B for ending Person A's life?
In the US, some states are "death with dignity" states. In such a state, suppose resident A wants to die earlier than allowed by that state law, and perhaps even before A becomes terminally ill.
...
- 73
1
vote
1
answer
255
views
Is there an offence when you kill to prevent a murder?
Suppose Person A shoots and kills Person B, who was about to shoot to kill Person C, and Person C makes a statement to police to say that if Person A hadn’t intervened, there was no doubt they would ...
- 181
1
vote
1
answer
126
views
Would it be legal for a bystander to use force to prevent an abortion in Texas?
Would it be legal for a bystander to use deadly force to prevent a doctor from committing an abortion in Texas?
- 13.7k
1
vote
1
answer
107
views
Is it ever not legal to cause harm to escape non-institutionalised harm? [closed]
Is there ever a case where your legal duty to care/not harm someone causes you to not be able to legally retaliate against non-institutionalised harm?
Examples do not have to be specific to any ...
- 147
1
vote
3
answers
113
views
Was this a case of negligent homicide, and have any other offences been committed here?
Disclaimer: I do not aim to take a position on the ethics of this situation with this question. This question, and all details of the hypothetical case at hand, merely arose from a discussion I ...
- 1,091
1
vote
1
answer
132
views
Thompson v Louisiana 1984 - Murderer convicted?
I am reading about the case Thompson v Louisiana from 1984 when SCOTUS decided that evidence obtained during a search without a search warrant couldn't be used in the case. But besides the SCOTUS-case ...
- 113
1
vote
1
answer
148
views
Homicide off Brooklyn Bridge
Let's go on a retrospective to June 1973, New York. Upon a pillar of Brooklyn Bridge Peter Parker is facing Norman Osborn who kidnapped his friend Gwen Stacy. After a short standoff, Mr. Osborn's very ...
- 33.2k
1
vote
1
answer
492
views
Are the legal claims and observations made by the medical examiner in the Ronald Opus fictional story legally accurate?
In the story of Ronald Opus, a medical examiner makes a number of observations on an apparent suicide:
On March 23, 1994, a medical examiner viewed the body of Ronald Opus and concluded that he died ...
- 967
1
vote
0
answers
72
views
Why are police sometimes able to kill without prosecution? [duplicate]
I have seen so many stories about cops killing Black Americans (it's not just Blacks, but that is who it usually is) and I found that it is rare for them to actually go to jail. If I killed anybody, I ...
- 27
0
votes
1
answer
205
views
Is it illegal in Germany to pretend being sentenced for committing homicide?
People often want you to tell them a story. For me this question is overreaching and I feel uncomfortable.
So I was wondering to what extend it is legal to make up a story I am fine with.
- 109
0
votes
2
answers
98
views
Where and how does intent factor in to murder?
Given a fentanyl related death & murder charge: https://abcnews.go.com/US/suspect-arrested-connection-deaths-2-men-drugged-beaten/story?id=98308800
Given that the suspect had beaten and robbed ...
- 6,955
0
votes
1
answer
134
views
Trust fall homicide
If I have established with another person that I will catch him as he voluntarily falls backward ("trust" falls), what are the legal ramifications for me (in the US) if I don't catch him and he breaks ...
- 159
0
votes
0
answers
38
views
Homicide vs Expanded Homicide
The FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program has data for Homicide, and then has data for Expanded Homicide. What is the difference between these two? For example... when selecting view by race the ...
- 119
-1
votes
1
answer
90
views
Lethal force to prevent virus outbreak?
Lets say im in the hostpital or a supermarket. and somone just died from somthing unknow, what seems to be a virus or any other transmissible disease. am i in legal right to use letal force to prevent ...
- 1
-2
votes
1
answer
134
views
How does a poor bombing fugitive suspect afford a 200 dollars an hour lawyer?
A suspected jihadist who fled Paris on the night of the Paris attacks and hid for 4 months in Belgium as a fugitive, has recently hooked up with a prominent high profile Belgian lawyer, the kind that ...
- 554
-4
votes
1
answer
112
views
What legal action could be taken against me if I kill the alternate myself from other reality?
If "another me" from some alternate reality comes to meet me and I kill him for some reason, and I am caught by police; could I be convicted of any crime in the U.S.?
(This question was originally ...
- 93