Kissimmee Homicide Attorney
Homicide cases most often go to trial
Homicide is regarded as the most serious crime in our judicial system, and certain homicide cases are eligible for the death penalty in Florida. Prosecutors are less likely to seek lenient sentences in murder cases, which means that your case is more likely to go to trial. Salazar & Kelly Law Group, P.A. was founded by two former Florida prosecutors. Our Kissimmee homicide attorneys have handled hundreds of cases and know the tactics state attorneys use.
First-degree murder charges can result in the death penalty
In Florida, first-degree murders are those that are committed with premeditation. Premeditation means that the murder was intentional, and the act was thought out before the killing took place. A first-degree murder is a capital offense.
If the victim is killed in the course of one of the following crimes, Florida also classifies it as first-degree murder:
- Drug trafficking
- Arson
- Sexual battery
- Robbery
- Burglary
- Kidnapping
- Escape
- Aggravated child abuse
- Aggravated abuse of an elderly person or adult
- Aircraft piracy
- Unlawful throwing, placing or discharging of a destructive device or bomb
- Carjacking
- Home invasion robbery
- Aggravated stalking
- A separate homicide
- Resisting an officer using violence
- Aggravated fleeing or eluding a police officer
- A terrorism-related felony
The punishment for first-degree homicide is the death penalty or life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. If you are facing such a serious charge, it is important to work with an experienced criminal defense attorney.
Second-degree murder does not require intent
To prove a second-degree murder, the prosecution must show that the accused acted with a “depraved mind” with no regard for human life. A second-degree murder conviction does not require proof of the defendant’s intent to kill as a prerequisite, and the defendant did not have to target a particular person. Second-degree murder usually applies when a person kills someone out of reckless anger or in a criminally negligent manner.
Manslaughter is murder through negligence
Manslaughter is defined under Florida law as the killing of a human being by act, procurement or culpable negligence of another without lawful justification. Florida law enhances the penalties for a defendant who is charged with manslaughter in connection with certain victims. You can receive enhanced penalties if the person was:
- Elderly
- Disabled
- A firefighter
- A paramedic
- Under the age of 18
- A police officer
- An EMT
Anyone convicted of manslaughter may face decades in prison, or even life.
Contact us if you or someone you love has been charged with murder
The Kissimmee murder attorneys of Salazar & Kelly Law Group, P.A. have handled hundreds of cases as prosecutors. Now we put that experience on the side of defendants. If you or a loved one is facing murder charges, do not settle for an inexperienced defense attorney. Contact us at 407-483-0500 or online to schedule a free initial consultation about your case at our main office in Kissimmee and our branches in Altamonte Springs and Orlando.
