Penalties for Murder Convictions
According to California Penal Code 187, murder is defined as the unlawful killing of one human being by another with malice aforethought. It is important to note that the malice can be expressed or implied. An individual found guilty of first-degree murder in California will be facing 25 years to life, imprisonment without the possibility of parole, or the death penalty.
An individual found guilty of second-degree murder faces a minimum of 15 years to life in prison. There are various circumstances that could increase those penalties—for example, if the second-degree murder was of a peace officer, the penalties could range between 25 years to life. An individual who fires a weapon from inside a motor vehicle, with the intention of inflicting great bodily harm towards a person outside the vehicle, will be facing 20 years to life.
There are many defenses that can be used to fight murder charges. Our team can review your case, analyze all evidence in the case against you, challenge witness statements, and build you the aggressive defense you need. We understand how much is at stake when you’ve been arrested or charged with a serious crime; although there is no guarantee as to the outcome of your case, our attorneys are dedicated to using the entirety of our experiences on behalf of our clients.
Fight Your Charges with the Help of Our San Francisco Defense Firm
Murder is amongst the most complex of all criminal cases. As the victim in such cases is unable to testify, it is not uncommon for the prosecuting attorney to use circumstantial evidence, witness statements, and other information in an attempt to prove guilt. Our managing attorney, Rick King, spent 6 years as a Deputy District Attorney honing his criminal litigation skills and handling all kinds of serious violent criminal cases before he joined our firm. He is committed to the seeing that justice is served and is dedicated to providing our clients with the aggressive representation they deserve. Due to his personal understanding of the lengths, prosecutors will go to in order to prepare their cases, we can bring a unique perspective to our cases.
You probably have some familiarity with our firm and our attorneys through one of the many television interviews, newspaper articles, and radio broadcasts we have done during some of our most high-profile cases. We have become nationally recognized legal analysts for CNN and Headline News, and one of our founding partners, Mark Haushalter, was a legal commentator for CNN during the controversial Casey Anthony trial. We have also been involved in other high-profile cases such as the Michael Jackson case, the O.J. Simpson case, and more. With the level of experience and professionalism, our firm brings, have confidence that you will be represented by a knowledgeable attorney who takes pride in working hard to build you an effective defense.
Contact us immediately for a confidential case consultation.