Basics of Homicide
Killing another human being.
What is homicide?
The original mental state required for murder under common law.
What is malice aforethought?
A killing that is lawful and justified.
What is justifiable homicide?
The physical act of homicide.
What is actus reus?
One issue complicating the definition of death today is
What is artificial life support?
The rule requires a victim to be born alive to be considered a homicide victim.
What is the born-alive rule?
Under early common law, homicide was divided into these two broad categories.
What are criminal and noncriminal homicide?
A killing that is not blameworthy due to accident or self-defense.
What is excusable homicide?
The mental state required for homicide grading.
What is mens rea?
A medical concept used to define death for organ transplants.
What is brain death?
The crime of killing a fetus is recognized in 24 states.
What is feticide?
By the 1700s, homicide was divided into these three types.
What are justifiable, excusable, and criminal homicide?
The method of killing matters or does not matter?
It does not matter.
Four levels of mens rea used in homicide cases
What are intentional, knowing, reckless, and negligent?
A modern legal response to attacks on pregnant women.
What are statutes punishing attacks resulting in fetal death?
In 2013, how many murders were reported to the FBI?
What is 14,196?
Judges began dividing murder into degrees because…
Not all murderers deserve the death penalty.
An unlawful killing of another living human being.
What is criminal homicide?
A type of murder involving extreme recklessness and disregard for life.
What is depraved heart murder?
First-degree murder requires this type of killing.
What is a premeditated killing?
Total violent felonies reported in 2013.
What is 1,163,146?
An exception where English law formally divided murder early on.
What is murder by clergy members?
Killing during the commission of a felony, even if unintended.
What is felony murder?
Intent to cause serious bodily injury that results in death
What is intent to cause serious bodily injury murder?
True or False: Premeditation requires a long, detailed plan.
False.