Eli5: What do the degrees assigned to crimes, e.g. first degree murder, indicate?
In: 0
What type of murder it is. First degree is premeditated and intentional. “I am going to kill my husband when he gets home from work Friday”
Second degree is intentional but not ore planned. More like a man comes home to his wife cheating and he kills his wife and her lover in the heat of the moment.
First degree is much worse because the person had time to think about it and truly decide that they will carry out a murder. They’re murderers and are dangerous. The second degree case is different because the man could argue he “just snapped”, lost control and had a blind fury. He didn’t plan on killing anyone, just made a mistake without thinking clearly. This person is less dangerous so they usually get a lighter sentence.
First degree is pre-meditated murder, meaning it was planned and intentional. Second degree is not pre-planned, but intentional — say you find your spouse in bed with somebody and in anger kill them. 3rd degree or manslaughter are unintentionally killing somebody, ie. a bar fight or negligence in a car accident.
A degree of crime is a way to classify how guilty you are of a certain crime. The definitions (including that of degrees of murder) vary state by state in the us. But they can have big implications for how long you’re sentenced. For example, in California, 2nd degree murder has a possible sentence of 15 to life, while first degree is 25 to life.
Typically, a higher degree means more harm is done to the victim, or premeditation.
Latest Answers