Freehold Manslaughter Lawyer
Experienced Criminal Defense Attorneys for Manslaughter Charges in Freehold, NJ
Manslaughter charges are among the most-serious charges you can face as a defendant in New Jersey’s criminal justice system. At a minimum, you are facing a 5 to 10-year prison sentence and a possible $150,000 fine. If you are being charged with aggravated manslaughter, you could be sentenced to a $200,000 fine and up to 30 years behind bars. A manslaughter conviction will alter the rest of your life; and, regardless of whether you believe you are guilty or innocent, this is a risk you cannot ignore. Note that a conviction for manslaughter also requires that 85% of the sentence must be served without parole eligibility.
Our criminal defense attorneys in Freehold bring centuries of combined legal experience to representing individuals charged with manslaughter in New Jersey. We have handled cases statewide, and we have protected clients who believed that all hope was lost. If you have been arrested for manslaughter in Freehold or elsewhere in the state, you need to start building your defense immediately, and we can make arrangements for you to meet with a Freehold manslaughter lawyer as soon as possible.
Manslaughter and Aggravated Manslaughter in New Jersey
Section 2C:11-4 of the New Jersey Code of Criminal Justice defines the offenses of manslaughter and aggravated manslaughter. Under New Jersey law, a criminal homicide constitutes manslaughter when:
- It is committed recklessly; or,
- It is committed in the heat of passion resulting from reasonable provocation and would otherwise constitute murder.
A criminal homicide constitutes aggravated manslaughter when:
- It is committed recklessly under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to human life; or,
- It is committed while fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer.
Criminal Penalties for Manslaughter in New Jersey
In Freehold, New Jersey, as well as in all other cities in the state, manslaughter is a second-degree indictable offense. This means that the court can impose a sentence of 5 to 10 years of imprisonment and up to a $150,000 fine. Aggravated manslaughter is a first-degree indictable offense. Although it is a first-degree offense, a conviction requires a sentence of a number between 10-30 years in prison and 85% of that sentence must be served without parole eligibility. When aggravated manslaughter is committed while fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement, it carries 10 to 20 years of imprisonment and a $200,000 fine. When committed under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to human life, the maximum prison sentence is increased to 30 years.
Self-Defense and Other Potential Defenses to Manslaughter
In many cases, individuals facing manslaughter charges will be able to assert self-defense. Under New Jersey law, self-defense is a defense to manslaughter where a person uses deadly force when confronted with unlawful force or when threatened with imminent death or serious bodily harm. If you were not involved in the fatal incident, our Freehold manslaughter lawyer can seek to establish your alibi, and we can challenge each element of the prosecution’s case in order to raise reasonable doubt in the minds of the jury. Depending on the facts involved in your case and the circumstances surrounding your arrest and interrogation, you may have other defenses available as well, and our Freehold attorneys will explore every possible opportunity to protect you against a manslaughter conviction.
Contact Us to Speak With a Freehold Manslaughter Lawyer
If you need to speak with a murder defense attorney in Freehold, NJ, please contact us to schedule a confidential initial consultation. Call 1-877-435-6371 or tell us how we can reach you online now.
