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man·slaugh·ter /'man-ˌslȯ-tər/ n: the unlawful killing of a human being without malice compare homicide, murderinvoluntary manslaughter: manslaughter resulting from the failure to perform a legal duty expressly required to safeguard human life, from the commission of an unlawful act not amounting to a felony, or from the commission of a lawful act involving a risk of injury or death that is done in an unlawful, reckless, or grossly negligent manner see also reckless homicide at homicide◇ The exact formulation of the elements of involuntary manslaughter vary from state to state esp. with regard to the level of negligence required. In states that grade manslaughter by degrees, involuntary manslaughter is usu. graded as a second- or third-degree offense.misdemeanor–manslaughter: involuntary manslaughter occurring during the commission of a misdemeanor compare felony murder at murdervoluntary manslaughter: manslaughter resulting from an intentional act done without malice or premeditation and while in the heat of passion or on sudden provocation◇ In states that grade manslaughter by degrees, voluntary manslaughter is usu. a first-degree offense.
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.
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I
noun
accidental homicide, homicide, homiddium, hominis caedes, killing, murder, reckless homicide, unintentional homicide, unintentional murder, unpremeditated murder
associated concepts: involuntary manslaughter, killing in the heat of passion, second degree manslaughter, voluntary manslaughter
II
index
homicide
Burton's Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006
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n.The unlawful and unjustifiable killing of another person without premeditation or malice aforethought.
The Essential Law Dictionary. — Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. Amy Hackney Blackwell. 2008.
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The crime of killing someone, but without the malice (evil intent) needed to make the killing murder.1) Involuntary manslaughter is a death that results from criminal, or extreme, negligence; or during the commission of a crime not included within the felony-murder rule.2) Voluntary manslaughter is an act of murder that is reduced to manslaughter due to extenuating circumstances, such as when the defendant acts in "the heat of passion" or is subject to diminished capacity. (See also: felony murder doctrine, diminished capacity)Category: Criminal LawCategory: Small Claims Court & Lawsuits
Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary. Gerald N. Hill, Kathleen Thompson Hill. 2009.
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n. The act of killing another person without malice aforethought.@ involuntary manslaughterThe accidental killing of another during the commission of a crime or as a result of criminal negligence.=>> manslaughter.@ voluntary manslaughterKilling in the heat of passion.+voluntary manslaughtern. An act of murder reduced to a charge of manslaughter due to extenuating circumstances, such as diminished capacity or being provoked in the heat of passion.=>> manslaughter.@
Webster's New World Law Dictionary. Susan Ellis Wild. 2000.
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The unjustifiable, inexcusable, and intentional killing of a human being without deliberation, premeditation, and malice. The unlawful killing of a human being without any deliberation, which may be involuntary, in the commission of a lawful act without due caution and circumspection.
Dictionary from West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005.
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The unjustifiable, inexcusable, and intentional killing of a human being without deliberation, premeditation, and malice. The unlawful killing of a human being without any deliberation, which may be involuntary, in the commission of a lawful act without due caution and circumspection.II The unlawful killing of another without intent to kill; either voluntary (upon a sudden impulse); or involuntary (during the commission of an unlawful act not ordinarily expected to result in great bodily harm). (See also murder.)
Short Dictionary of (mostly American) Legal Terms and Abbreviations.
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n.the unlawful killing of another person without premeditation or so-called "malice aforethought" (an evil intent prior to the killing). It is distinguished from murder (which brings greater penalties) by lack of any prior intention to kill anyone or create a deadly situation. There are two levels of manslaughter: voluntary and involuntary. Voluntary manslaughter includes killing in heat of passion or while committing a felony. Involuntary manslaughter occurs when a death is caused by a violation of a non-felony, such as reckless driving (called "vehicular manslaughter"). Examples: Eddy Hothead gets into a drunken argument in a saloon with his acquaintance Bob Bonehead, and Hothead hits Bonehead over the head with a beer bottle, causing internal bleeding and death. Brent Burgle sneaks into a warehouse intent on theft and is surprised by a security man, whom Burgle knocks down a flight of stairs, killing him. Both are voluntary manslaughter. However, if either man had used a gun, a murder charge is most likely since he brought a deadly weapon to use in the crime. The immediate rage in finding a loved one in bed with another followed by a killing before the passion cools usually limits the charge to voluntary manslaughter and not murder, but prior attacks could convince a District Attorney and a jury that the killing was not totally spontaneous. Lenny Leadfoot drives 70 miles per hour on a twisting mountain road, goes off a cliff and his passenger is killed in the crash. Leadfoot can be charged with involuntary manslaughter.
Law dictionary. EdwART. 2013.
