By Tedia Gamino
In the state of Wisconsin, the laws centered on homicide are very clear – and they outline harsh punishments for people convicted of the crime.
Homicide is a complicated charge, and it involves one person causing the death of another person. There are a number of ways homicide can be classified, but convictions result in harsh penalties. Many people facing murder charges in Wisconsin turn to a skilled attorney for help creating a solid defense strategy.
What Type of Crime is First-Degree Intentional Homicide?
Under Wisconsin law, first-degree intentional homicide is a Class A felony. If the state convicts you of a Class A felony, including homicide, you are facing consequences that include life imprisonment.
What Are Mitigating Circumstances for Homicide?
The law allows for mitigating circumstances in homicide cases. Mitigating circumstances are events that may change the charge from first-degree intentional homicide to second-degree intentional homicide.
Mitigating circumstances for first-degree homicide in Wisconsin include:
- Adequate provocation. Adequate provocation means that the other person’s death was caused under circumstances that caused the defendant to believe the victim did something that caused him or her to lose self-control completely. Crimes that you hear referred to as being committed “in the heat of passion” may be adequate provocation cases.
- Unnecessary defensive force. If a person’s death was caused because the defendant believed that he or she was in danger of death or great bodily harm – or if someone else was in the same type of danger – and if the defendant believed that such force was necessary to stop the danger, even if it wasn’t, this affirmative defense may be used.
- Prevention of felony. If the defendant believed that he or she was using the necessary force to prevent the commission of a felony, but the force was truly unnecessary, this affirmative defense may be used.
- Coercion or necessity. If the defendant committed the homicide while being coerced by someone else, or when he or she believed it was necessary, this affirmative defense may be used.
Are You Fighting Homicide Charges in Wisconsin?
If you’ve been accused of first-degree intentional homicide in the state of Wisconsin, our Milwaukee murder defense lawyers may be able to help you.
Call us at 414-383-6700 as soon as possible. The sooner you tell us about your case, the sooner our homicide attorneys will be able to begin building a strategic defense.
Tedia Gamino
