What is voluntary manslaughter?

Voluntary manslaughter in the United States occurs when one person kills another after adequate provocation, that is, there has been action that was sufficient to incite an ordinary person to a sudden and intense passion that he loses self-control.

Although the person may have intended to kill the victim in a voluntary manslaughter situation, this is not considered manslaughter if the killing was pre-meditated.

Voluntary manslaughter may also occur when one person kills another without malice aforethought, meaning that they did not intend to cause death. A killing that would have been murder may be reduced to manslaughter if the defendant committed the killing because he mistakenly believed he needed to use deadly force to defend himself or another. The exact definition may vary somewhat between states. Other types of manslaughter include involuntary manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter, and negligent manslaughter.

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What if the killing was a result of sudden passion?

When one person kills another after adequate provocation, a killing that would have originally been murder may be reduced to voluntary manslaughter. To be considered adequate, there are four requirements. First, the provocation must have been sufficient to incite an ordinary person to lose self-control. However, it is not enough that the provocation was sufficient, the provocation must actually have caused the defendant to personally lose self-control. In addition, very little time must have elapsed between the provocation and the killing.

The amount of time that passed between the provocation and the killing must have been so brief that an ordinary person would not have had time to regain his composure. Lastly, the defendant must personally have failed to compose himself between the provocation and the killing.

In most states, adequate provocation is limited to the passion aroused by situations like a threat of deadly force, or at least of physical force, or by finding a spouse in bed with another person. Oral threats alone are not usually considered adequate provocation for voluntary manslaughter. If the oral threats are combined with an assaultive or violent history with the victim, then providing the history could be sufficient for a voluntary manslaughter instruction.

Killing Without Intent or Imperfect Self-Defense

The next type also is referred to as an imperfect self-defense claim. In states with this type of penal code, voluntary manslaughter occurs when a person kills another person but does so without malice. For example, if a person and a co-worker both consent to fight, neither could claim self-defense to an assault charge because both mutually agreed to the assault. If the co-worker dies during the fight because of an unusual punch, the person could be charged with voluntary manslaughter. The charge would be manslaughter, instead of murder, because the intent in joining the fight was not to kill the other person, even though the conduct resulted in bodily harm leading to the victim’s death.

To obtain a request for a lesser included instruction on voluntary manslaughter based on self-defense or mutual combat, the defense must present some evidence that the victim provoked the event, agreed to participate in the event, or that the defendant had effectively withdrawn from the event but the victim continued.

How can you get legal help?

Voluntary manslaughter tends to overlap with other theories and defenses. Some situations may also fit a regular self-defense claim. Other circumstances may work with a request for a lesser included instruction for negligent homicide, which is an even lower category of offense than voluntary manslaughter.

Choosing the best defensive theory in relation to the facts of your case is critical to an effective overall defensive strategy. A local criminal defense attorney can inform you of any state restrictions on raising a defense of voluntary or involuntary manslaughter and its impact on your case.

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Case Studies: Voluntary Manslaughter

Case Study 1: Provocation and Loss of Self-Control

In this case, John is provoked by his neighbor, Mike, who constantly harasses him and threatens him with physical violence. One day, after a particularly intense argument, John loses control and ends up killing Mike. Since John was adequately provoked and experienced a sudden loss of self-control, he could potentially be charged with voluntary manslaughter instead of murder.

Case Study 2: Mutual Combat and Unintentional Death

Sarah and Mark, coworkers, engage in a consensual fight after an argument escalates. During the fight, Sarah throws an unexpected punch that inadvertently causes Mark’s death. Although Sarah did not have the intent to kill Mark, her actions resulted in fatal consequences. As a result, Sarah could face charges of voluntary manslaughter due to her participation in the fight.

Case Study 3: Imperfect Self-Defense

In this scenario, Jake and Chris agree to engage in a physical altercation. However, during the fight, Jake realizes that Chris is becoming increasingly violent and poses a serious threat to his life. Jake tries to disengage and withdraw from the fight, but Chris continues to attack. In a desperate attempt to protect himself, Jake delivers a fatal blow to Chris. Jake’s actions, while intended to defend himself, result in Chris’s death. Jake may be charged with voluntary manslaughter, as his actions were not premeditated, and he used force in response to a perceived threat.