Top Merrifield, VA Involuntary Manslaughter Lawyers Near You

The Crime of Involuntary Manslaughter

Involuntary manslaughter is a criminal offense for the killing of a person without the intent to kill. This crime occurs when a person does not exercise reasonable care or acts negligently and causes the death of another. The amount of negligence required to fall under involuntary manslaughter is often determined by the law in the state where the death occurred.

Are You Facing Involuntary Manslaughter Charges?

If you are charged with involuntary manslaughter, immediately contact a Merrifield criminal defense lawyer experienced in these cases. Although not as serious as voluntary manslaughter or murder, this is still a charge that carries severe potential consequences if you are found guilty. Your lawyer can help you and challenge the state’s evidence in aggressively defending you or he or she may negotiate a lesser sentence if you plead guilty.

Is Involuntary Manslaughter A Serious Charge?

Yes, involuntary manslaughter is considered a serious charge at the state and federal level and comes with some steep penalties if convicted, such as imprisonment, steep fines, community service, and more. Federal sentencing guidelines instill a base penalty of a 10 to 16 months imprisonment for an involuntary manslaughter conviction. If you’re facing charges at the state level, an attorney can help you better understand the minimum and maximum jail sentence in your state. Typically, having an extensive criminal record can increase the harshness of the punishment you may receive.

Aggravating and Mitigating Factors

When dealing with an involuntary manslaughter charge, a court looks to see if there are any aggravating or mitigating factors to determine the punishment. Aggravating factors elevate the severity of a crime. One of the most common aggravating factors is intoxication, or being under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Another is a previous conviction of a violent crime or a criminal offense that caused physical harm to another person. Mitigating factors are circumstances that alleviate the severity of the repercussions and work in your favor, such as the person you unintentionally killed was also acting negligent or someone else caused you to crash your vehicle that resulted in the death of another.

How a Criminal Defense Attorney Can Help Me?

An attorney can often resolve your particular legal issue faster and better than trying to do it alone. Criminal defense lawyers understand the laws in Virginia and can help you navigate the legal system, while avoiding costly mistakes or procedural errors. You should seek out an attorney whose practice focuses on the area of law most relevant to your issue and who has experience handling involuntary manslaughter cases.

Tips on Approaching an Initial Attorney Consultation

• Use the consultation as a means of gaining a better understanding of your legal situation.
• Ask the attorney how many cases similar to yours he/she has handled. An attorney’s experience and knowledge can speak to their expertise (or lack of) in addressing your situation.
• Your attorney should be able to articulate roughly how long a case like yours will take to resolve and what sort of procedures to expect.
• Determine how comfortable you are working with the lawyer and/or law firm.

How to Find the Right Attorney

• Determine the area of law that relates to your issue. Attorneys specialize in specific practice areas around legal issues within the broad field of law.
• Seek out recommendations from friends, family, and colleagues. A successful attorney or practice will typically have many satisfied clients.
• Set up consultation appointments to get a better understanding of your case as well as gauge your comfort level with different attorneys. Find the attorney who is the right fit for your needs.