CriminalLawEssay#2

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DeftwasasleeponenightwhenanunknownintruderbrokeintohishomeandmurderedDefts
onlychild.Deftwasveryupsetandpubliclyvowedtofindthekillerandseethatjusticewasdone.
Deftsearchedforseveralmonthsbutwasunabletofindthekiller.Oneyearafterthemurder,Deft
receivedananonymousletterstatingthat,KyleisthekilleryouaresearchingforandyoucanfindKyle
atthe38thStreetPier.LenwrotetheletterafterLenreadaboutDeftsattemptstofindthekiller.Len
wassittinginabarwhenheheardKyleboastthatKylehadkilledDeftschild.LenhatedKyle,butonly
hopedthatDeftwouldgiveKyleaseriousbeating.
Deftwenttothe38thstreetpierandaskedagroupofworkersiftheyknewwhereKylewas.The
workerspointedtowardamanstandingneartheedgeofthepier.Deftapproachedthemanand
shouted,areyouKyle?Kyleresponded,Couldbe,whowantstoknow?Deftthenpulledouta
pictureofhischildandsaid,thischildwantstoknowwhatkindoflowlifescumcouldhurtaninnocent
child.DeftandKyleyelledateachotherandtradedinsultsforseverminutes.Atonepointduringthe
heatedexchangeofwords,KyleadmittedhehadkilledDeftschildandthenbeganmovingtowardDeft
andreachinghishandintohisjacket.DeftimmediatelypulledoutahandgunandshotKyleinthechest,
killingKyleinstantly.NoweaponwasfoundinKylesjacket.

Defthasbeenchargedwithmurderandmanslaughter.Lenhasbeenchargedwithmurder.Is
theevidencesufficienttosustainthe
1. ChargesofmurderormanslaughteragainstDeft?Discuss.
2. ChargeofmurderagainstLen?Discuss.

CriminalLawEssay#2
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CanamurderchargeagainstDeftbesustained?
Toconvictonachargeformurdertheprosecutionmustthattherewasahomicidewithmalice.
Homicide:Homiciderequiresthattherebyadeathofahumancausedbythedefendant.Here,Deft
wasarmedwithapistol.Thepistolwasdischarged,struckKyleinthechestwithabullet,andkilledhim
instantly.Therefore,DeftkilledKyle.
Murder:Toprovemurder,anintentionalhomicidebythedefendantwithmalicemustexist.Malicecan
existifthedefendantintendedtokill,intendedtocommitseriousbodilyinjury,actedwithadepraved
heart,orkillsanotherinthecourseofaninherentlydangerousfelony.Here,Deftutilizedapistol.A
pistolisconsideredtobeaninherentlydangerousweaponthataninferenceofmalicemaybedrawn
from.Becausethisinferencecanbereasonablydrawnwithnostatedrebuttal,Deftwillbedeemedto
havekilledanotherwithmalice.Therefore,becauseDeftintentionallykilledanotherwithmalice,itis
verylikelythatthatevidenceasstatedwillsustainamurderchargeagainstDeft.
CanamanslaughterchargeagainstDeftbesustained?
Voluntarymanslaughteristheintentionalkillingofanotherpersonwhileundertheeffectsofaheatof
passionstateofmind.Thisrequiresthattherebeareasonableprovocationtothedefendant,thatthe
provocationindeedprovokeshim,andthathehasnotcooledofffromtheprovocation.
Here,Deft,armedwithahandgun,approachedKyleandshoutedathim,AreyouKyle?Kyle
respondedtoDeftsquestion.DeftandKylebegantoyellbackandforthateachother.Theexchangeof
wordswasheated.KylethenadmittedhehadkilledDeftschild.Althoughnotstated,itisareasonable
inferencethathavingapersonadmittokillingoneschildcouldreasonablyinstillaheatofpassioninto
theparentofthedeadchild.Becauseofthis,IbelieveitislikelythatKylesstatementswouldbefound
tohavecreatedaheatofpassion.Continuingon,Deftwasnotshowntohavetimetocooloff.Deft
wouldmeettherequirementsforvoluntarymanslaughter.
ManslaughterWouldStillNotbeLikelytoApply
AlthoughDefthadmetthegeneralrequirementsformanslaughter,itwouldbearguedbythe
prosecutionthatDeftinitiatedtheconfrontation.DefttookdeliberatestepstoseekoutKyle.Hefurther
begantheconfrontationbyapproachingandshout[ing]atKyle.Deftexchangedheatedwordswith
Kyle.ThesefactsindicatethatDeftinitiated,instigated,andaggravatedtheencounter.Therefore,
becauseDeftwasanaggressorandKyleposednophysicalthreat,theevidencedoesnotfullysupporta
manslaughterchargeagainstDeft.Seconddegreeorfirstdegreemurderislikelythemoreappropriate
chargebasedonevidenceandthemannerofkilling.
CanamurderchargeagainstLenbesustained?
Homicide:Forahomicidethedefendantmusthaveintentionallykilledanother.Here,Deftcommitted
theactthatwasthecauseofKylesdeath(shootingwithahandgun).LendidnotshootorattackKyle.
LendidnotkillKyle;therefore,LendidnotdirectlycommitthehomicideofKyle.However,itmaybe
arguedthatLenfacilitatedandassistedintheactionsthatleadtoKylesdeath.

CriminalLawEssay#2
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Murder:Toprovemurder,anindividualmusthavecommittedahomicidewithmalice.Maliceagain
requiresanintenttokill,anintenttocauseseriousbodilyinjury,actingwithadepraveheart,orkilling
duringthecommissionofaninherentlydangerousfelony.
FirstDegreeMurder
Firstdegreemurderrequiresthatanindividualintentionallykillanotherthroughpremeditationand
deliberation.Here,LenonlyhopedthatDeftwouldgiveKyleaseriousbeating.Lendidnotintendfor
DefttoKillKyle.BecauseLenonlyhopedforabeating,andnotanintentionalkilling,wemaydismiss
firstdegreemurderasinappropriatewithoutneedingtolookattheelementsofpremeditationand
deliberation.Firstdegreemurderchargeswouldbedismissed.
SecondDegreeMurder
SecondDegreemurdercanbeshowniftherewasahomicidemalice.Malicecanbefoundifthereis:
1. IntenttoKillasdiscussedabove,Lendidnothaveanintenttokill,butonlyanintentto
causeaseriousbeating.Intenttokillmurderdoesnotapply.

2. SeriousBodilyInjury:Here,LenisreportedtohateKyle.LenknewandunderstoodDefts
deephateandquestforrevengeagainstDeftschildskiller.LenleadDeft,bywayofa
writtenletter,toKylewhoadmittedtobeingthechildskiller.Lenkneworreasonably
shouldhaveknownthatthenaturalandprobableresultofgivingtheidentityofthekillerto
DeftwasthatDeftwouldseekoutjustice.Lensactionsinprovidingaletterandlocationof
KylewerealinkinthecausalchainthatleduptoKylesdeath.Therefore,becauseLen
providedthelettertoDeft,whichprovidedthelocationandnameofthekiller,andbecause
Lenwantedtocauseaseriousbeating,evidenceonthechargesforanaccompliceto
murderwouldverylikelybesustainedagainstLen.

3. DepravedheartCommittinganactwithanextremeindifferenceorrecklessdisregardfor
anotherslifecanconstituteadepravedhere.Here,LentoldDeftwheretofindthekiller.
Lenwantedtocauseaseriousbeating;aseriousbeatingcouldbeinterpretedasserious
bodilyharm.LenintentionallydisregardedthefactthatDeftwantedtoseethatJustice
wasdone.LentoldDeftwheretofindKyle.LenfurthertoldDeftthatKylewasthekiller.
LenactedwithrecklessdisregardforthelifeandsafetyofKyle.BecauseKylewaskilled,it
islikelythatasanaccomplice,Lentheevidencecouldsustainaseconddegreechargeof
depravedheartmurder.

4. FelonyMurderLendidnotdirectlyparticipateinafelony.Furthermore,theonlyfelony
committedwastheactualmurderofKyle.Thefelonymurderruledoesnotapply.

Conclusion:BecauseofLensactionsandparticipationitislikelythatthereissufficientefficientto
sustainaseconddegreemurderchargeagainstLen.