What is depraved indifference in law?
Depraved indifference to human life reflects a wicked, evil or inhuman state of mind, as manifested by brutal, heinous and despicable acts. It is evinced by conduct that is wanton, deficient in a moral sense of concern, and devoid of regard for the life or lives of others.
Is depraved indifference a crime?
In United States law, depraved-heart murder, also known as depraved-indifference murder, is a type of murder where an individual acts with a “depraved indifference” to human life and where such act results in a death, despite that individual not explicitly intending to kill.
What is the sentence for depraved indifference?
The law says you are guilty of depraved indifference murder if you engage in conduct that creates a grave risk of death and are aware of and consciously disregard that risk. We know the grave risk, indeed the likelihood, of death in prison for people serving life sentences.
What does aforethought mean?
previously in mind
Definition of aforethought : previously in mind : premeditated, deliberate with malice aforethought.
What degree murder is depraved indifference?
Second-degree murder
Second-degree murder can also be defined as murder committed recklessly, under circumstances evidencing extreme indifference to life. Second-degree murder includes implied malice murder, such as murder with the intent to cause serious bodily injury, and depraved heart murders.
What is extreme recklessness?
Behavior that is so careless that it is considered an extreme departure from the care a reasonable person would exercise in similar circumstances.
What is second-degree depraved heart murder?
Second-degree murder is defined as an intentional killing that was not premeditated. In some states, second-degree murder also encompasses “depraved heart murder,” which is a killing caused by a reckless disregard for human life.
What does strangulation mean in literature?
Definition of strangulation 1 : the action or process of strangling or strangulating. 2 : the state of being strangled or strangulated especially : excessive or pathological constriction or compression of a bodily tube (such as a blood vessel or a loop of intestine) that interrupts its ability to act as a passage.