San Diego Manslaughter Defense Lawyer & Attorney

San Diego Manslaughter charges?
Contact a San Diego Criminal Defense Lawyer.

Accidents happen in life.  It is particularly tragic if an accident claims the life of another person, but these accidents to occur from time to time.  Good people, especially good people are not perfect, and should they accidentally cause the death of another person they may become overwhelmed by the legal ramifications of their situation.

The law defines manslaughter as the killing of a person without premeditated thoughts. These premeditated thoughts are considered "malice aforethought", and are a critical difference between murder and manslaughter. The laws of the State of California as well as the County of San Diego establish two distinct levels of manslaughter: voluntary manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter.

There are a variety of circumstances in which a person could become involved in a chain of events that leads to a death and a criminal charge is filed against them. Quite often prosecutors do not have all of the facts when they first file charges in a homicide and they tend to file more aggressively in such cases. Therefore, a death which is actually a case of voluntary or involuntary manslaughter might be charged as a murder in which there is a mandatory prison sentence. Such situations demand the immediate attention of a skilled, experienced defense attorney such as those at San Diego Defense Lawyers who can quickly analyze such cases and preserve the best possible legal options for you. We have handled many murder and manslaughter cases and are completely familiar with the workings of the local criminal justice system. We have won reductions of charges in many such cases by aggressively defending the constitutional rights of our victims and utilizing the professional resources of our staff to ensure that the correct strategy is applied to your case.

It is not uncommon for us to convince prosecutors or judges to reduce charges and the attendant penalties, which can be severe and have a lasting effect on your life. If you are charged with manslaughter you could be facing incarceration in county jail or prison, a significantly high bail figure while charges are pending, high fines and the possibility of being placed on probation or parole. You could have a mark on your criminal record that would negatively affect your chances of employment and working in some types of jobs. Manslaughter charges can evolve from a number of unexpected scenarios: a domestic squabble, a bar fight or a traffic accident in which a companion is killed. If you find yourself in such a situation contact our lawyers as soon as possible in order to help us protect all of the legal options that may be available to you.

Voluntary Manslaughter: Voluntary manslaughter mainly includes killing in the heat of passion or while committing a felony.  Furthermore, manslaughter is considered unpremeditated criminal homicide that occurs if a defendant was provoked or had diminished capacity to reason.

Involuntary Manslaughter:  An individual can be charged with involuntary manslaughter if they cause the death of someone while committing a non-felony crime. An example of involuntary manslaughter in San Diego is vehicular manslaughter, or any homicide that occurs without intent or due to recklessness or negligence.

Let our team of dedicated and experienced manslaughter lawyers help you get the best defense possible in your case.  We understand that this traumatic event can have severe repercussions in your life, which is why we endeavor to handle your case as discretely and efficiently as possible. If you have been charged with voluntary manslaughter or involuntary manslaughter,contact the Steigerwalt Law Firm today to review your case!