Virginia Beach Homicide Attorney

You don’t have to be a legal expert to know that homicide is one of the most serious crimes a person can commit. Indeed, in the state of Virginia, the sentence for certain types of homicide can include life in prison, or even death.  Due to the seriousness of such charges, it is important for you to contact an experienced Virginia Beach homicide attorney immediately if you are currently facing homicide charges—regardless of whether or not you are guilty.

As the most serious type of homicide charge, capital homicide also carries the harshest penalties—life imprisonment or a death sentence. However, state law limits the types of crimes that can qualify for capital homicide charges.

If a homicide occurred during the commission of another crime, such as a kidnapping, drug deal, rape, criminal enterprise, or robbery, you may be charged with capital homicide. Likewise, if the victim was a member of law enforcement, a pregnant woman, or under the age of 14, capital homicide charges may also apply. Killing an individual in a state or county jail can also lead to capital homicide charges, as can murders for hire. Individuals charged with killing more than one person over a three-year period, or killing two or more individuals at the same time, may also face capital homicide charges.

Although less severe than capital homicide, first and second degree murder charges are both felony offenses. According to state law, any willful homicide that cannot be classified as capital homicide may be considered first or second degree murder. The penalties for both first and second degree murders include a minimum 5-year prison sentence, with a 40-year maximum.

To be charged with capital murder or first/second degree homicide, the crime in question must be premeditated, as well as intentional. If the murder was unplanned, but intentional, you may be charged with voluntary manslaughter—a charge commonly used for “crimes of passion,” or murders committed in the heat of the moment. In cases where both premeditation and intent are lacking, involuntary manslaughter charges may be used instead. Deaths caused by negligence—such as driving under the influence—typically fall into this category.

Both voluntary and involuntary manslaughter are Class 5 felonies. If convicted, your sentence may include a minimum one-year prison sentence, with a maximum sentence of 20 years.

If you have been charged with any type of homicide, it is in your best interest to seek counsel from an experienced criminal attorney. After more than a decade of representing clients just like you, attorney Michael C. Tillotson has the legal expertise required to fight your homicide charges, and will aggressively defend you every step of the way. Contact attorney Michael C. Tillotson today for a free, no-obligation consultation on your homicide case.