If you’ve killed someone and been arrested, it’s important for you to understand that this is a very serious situation. Homicide is treated as the most serious of offenses in most states, and Missouri even allows for the death penalty for murder convictions in some cases. However, there are good potential defenses that can help.

For example, some potential defenses that can be used in a homicide trial include:

• Demonstrating that you were acting in reasonable self-defense
• Proving that you were defending someone else from serious harm or death
• Showing that you were acting under extreme duress at the time of the killing
• Showing that you did not understand what you were doing
• Being under the control of another person who forced the killing
• When a victim consents to an act that eventually leads to a death

The good news for defendants is that there are many levels of homicide, so even a first-degree murder charge could be reduced significantly enough to have minimal penalties. For instance, if you can disprove that you intentionally killed someone, then your charges may be dropped to voluntary manslaughter, involuntary manslaughter or second-degree murder, all of which carry less-significant penalties than a first-degree murder charge.

Regardless of the situation, having to fight murder charges is complex and stressful. Our website has more information on what you can do to protect your rights and make sure your case is handled correctly. This could be your life on the line, so you deserve a solid defense to protect your rights and to try to minimize the damage.