Thread: I have a crime, but what kind of charges will suspect face?

So some guy wants to maybe shoot someone, maybe just scare someone, whatever. But at some point the gun goes off and kills a bystander. Would this be involuntary homicide? Involuntary manslaughter? Any other charges?

The Wikipedia entry doesn't help me because, as I mentioned, the suspect is ambivalent. How does this affect the choice of charges?

It wouldn't be murder, because there wasn't intent to kill the bystander...

I think it would be manslaughter.

Homicide is where you shoot someone with intent to kill.. and i've never heard of the phrase involuntariy... Just homicide and manslaughter..

He could also be charged for assault by the victim in question. Now a days, you dont necessarily have to hit someone to be charged with it..

"Homicide" makes me think you are talking about the US, but it might be useful to specify exactly where this is, it is the sort of thing that varies in different jurisdictions.

mgencleyn - I was about to ask what jurisdiction you are in, but Ollly Buckle beat me to it

There would be a great difference between a country with its legal system based on English Common Law, and one with a system based on the Napoleonic Code, or the Qur'an, or any of the several different systems in use in the Far East.

If you are in the U-S then you are dealing with a system originally based on English Common Law except in the state of Louisiana whose state criminal code is based on the Napoleonic Code.

I just recently found the exact statutes after a week of digging. Thanks everyone!

meditated murder

and involuntary manslaughter

also, anything else that the DA could put on you

In some places, it would be first degree murder(capital murder-death penalty possible.)

In the act of a felony, someone loses their life directly related to the felony act.
Person meant to shoot someone(attempted murder) and accidentally shot the wrong person.
If the person was trying to intimidate the person with the presence of a firearm, would depend on level of the charge.

But it would be specific to the location of the crime. Laws are different for each state.(in the USA)

Which country is this in? Then which State or Province? In depends on the jurisdiction and the coverage of the law.