There are many names for a homicide crime, such as murder, manslaughter, assassination, and extermination. People die of natural and unnatural causes every day, but the death is referred to as a homicide when foul play or deliberate killing is involved. Taking someone’s life is undoubtedly the most horrendous of all criminal offenses, which is why lifetime imprisonment and the death sentence are possible punishments. However, not all homicides are the result of intended actions or malicious motives; at times, killing someone can be the only option or the right thing to do in a given situation.
If you are a suspect in a homicide case, do not take it lightly even if you had absolutely nothing to do with it. Work with Florida Criminal Defense Attorney to clear your name and fend off the allegations. If you have been charged with murder, you need an attorney to help you beat the charges and prevent conviction. The following defenses can help prove your innocence or justify your actions in a homicide case:
1. It could not be me
This defense works if you have a strong alibi that places you far away from the location of the crime scene around the time the homicide happened. Any documented or recorded evidence with a time stamp that confirms your presence elsewhere shall save you. If you don’t have visual evidence, someone reliable could vouch for you. Passes/tickets, CCTV footage, bookkeeping archives, and phone records are some of the things that would be taken into account. Lack of a reasonable motive may also help your case. If you are certain that someone else is guilty of the crime, you need to present proof to verify your theory or accusation.
2. It was Self-defense
Killing someone in the course of protecting your own life, as well as other innocent people, is not a crime. For example, an armed intruder may have broken into your home and threatened to kill you and your family. If you manage to attack or pacify someone trying to harm you, and kill them in the process, it will be considered self-defense. Killing a perpetrator to defend other potential victims is often recognized as an act of bravery or noble intentions.
3. I was under Duress or Entrapment
Being in a situation where you cannot act in accordance to your own will and conscience is indeed painful and devastating. If you were forced to kill another person and left with no other choice, it could be duress or entrapment. The difference between the two situations is that the person/entity coercing you belongs to law enforcement in the case of entrapment. They may have threatened to harm you or your loved ones in case you did not comply. The person claiming to be under duress or entrapment may not be entirely acquitted, but a reduced sentence is expected.
4. It was an accident
You may end up killing someone without intention or realization, so that does not make you a criminal. For example, you may have prepared the food that gave a stranger a severe allergic reaction and brought upon their demise. Sometimes, people are killed during participation in competitive sports like wrestling, hunting, boxing, and even baseball. If your profession involves proximity to guns or other weapons, there’s the possibility of killing someone while carrying out a simple task like cleaning a rifle. If someone abruptly ran in front of your car while you were driving sober and obeying traffic rules, their death is not your fault.
5. I was not in my right mind
If you do not remember committing the homicide or did not intend it, it is possible that you were mentally compromised. Someone may have drugged/influenced you without your knowledge, which was the reason you got involved in this. This defense also works if your medical history suggests that you suffer from a severe mental disorder that explains your actions. If you killed someone in a state of shock or emotional outburst, it would be identified as a second or third degree murder. The defense of insanity may prevent imprisonment, but it will land you in an asylum or rehabilitation facility. Second and third degree murders lack planning or definite intention, which is why they are subject to lesser punishment.
