The Crime of HomicideWord文档格式.docx
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The Crime of HomicideWord文档格式.docx
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itisjustifiablehomicide.Thesameistrueofthepoliceofficerwhokillsapersontopreventthecommissionofaforciblefelony,suchasrobberyorburglary,whenthekillingisareasonablynecessarypreventivemeasure;
orwhentheofficerkillsadangerousfeloninordertopreventhisescape.Then,too,somekillingsareexcusablehomicides;
forinstance,whereapersonaccidentally,andwithoutgrossnegligence,causesthedeathofanotherindividual.
Akillingamountstoacriminalhomicidewhenitisdonewithoutlawfuljustificationorexcuse.Dependinguponcertaincircumstancesitmaybeeithermurderormanslaughter.
Intheearlydaysofourcountry,andpriortheretoinEngland,theelementsofthecrimesofmurderandmanslaughterwereprescribedbycourtdecisions.Thesedecisionscametobeknownasthe“commonlaw”.Sincethen,inmostjurisdictionsmurderandmanslaughterhavebeenredefinedbythelegislatives,eitherintheformofaseparatestatuteorasaprovisionfoacriminalcode.
PartOneMurder
Accordingtobecommonlaw,murderwasthekillingofahumanbeing“malice”,andtherequirementof“malice”isstillfoundinsomepresent-daystatutesandcodes.TheCaliforniaPenalCode,forinstance,hasretainedit.Thatcodeprovides,asdidthecommonlaw,that.
“...Malicemaybeexpressorimplied.Itisexpresswhenthereismanifestedadeliberateintentiontotakeawaythelifeofafellowcreature.Itisimplied,whennoconsiderableprovocationappears,orwhenthecircumstancesattendingthekillingshowanabandonedandmalignantheart”
Aclearillustrationofexpressmaliceisacasewhereonepersonintentionallypushesanotheroffthesideofamountain.Anexampleofimpliedmaliceiswhereapersonfiresarifleatamovingpassengertrain,just”toscare”thepersonaboardortodisplayskillatfiringabulletbetweenthecarswithouthittinganyone.Thedangerousnessoftheconductwouldbeevidenceof“malice”asregardsanykillingthatmaybereasonablyattributedtosuchconduct.Itwouldindicate,toaCaliforniacourttojury,“anabandonedandmalignantheart”.
Thepenaltyformurderispunishablebydeathinsomestates;
inothersbyprisontermsextendingto“life”oraspecifiednumberofyears.
(a)Felony-Murder
Anotherexampleofasatisfactionoftheelementofmaliceisakillingduringthecourseofafelonysuchasrobbery.Eventhougharobber’sgungoesoffaccidentally,killingtherobberyvictim,orabystander,orapoliceofficer,hisconductofcommittingsuchadangerouscrimeasrobberysatisfiestherequirementofmalicesothatkillingbecomespunishableasmurder.Asimilarlineofreasoninghasresultedinholdingco-felonsguiltyofmurderwhere,inthecourseofanexchangeofshotsbetweenrobbersandthepolice,apoliceofficerisaccidentallykilledbyanotherofficer.
Malicemayalsobeattributedtoarobberwhosepartnerinthecrimeintentionallykillssomeoneduringthecommissionofthecrimeortheattemptedescape.Maliceonthepartofallparticipantsisimpliedfromthedangerousnessoftherobberyitself;
moreover,eachrobberisconsideredtoactasanagentfortheothersinaccomplishingtheirobjective,includingtheattempttoescape.
Thiswholeissueoffelony-murderstemsprimarilyfromtheprosecution’sinterestseekingthedeathpenaltyforsuchkillings.Insomeofthestateswhichhaveabolishedcapitalpunishment(Wisconsin,forexample),thelegislatures,outofanunderstandabledesiretopunishrobbersmoreseverelywheneverakillingresults,haveprovidedthatpunishmentforsuchoffensesshallbefifteenyearsgreaterthanthatprovidedfornon-fatalrobberies.
(b)DegreesofMurder
Somestateshavespecifiedvaryingpenaltiesformurder,dependinguponthecircumstancesofthekilling.A“willful,deliberateandpremeditated“killing,suchasapoisoningorakillingduringthecommissionofadangerousfelony,maybelabeledfirstdegreemurderandpunishablebydeathorlongimprisonment.Otherformsofmurdermaybeoftheseconddegreeandpunishablewithalesserpenalty.Accordingtothecommonlaw,however,therewerenodegreesofmurder.Anyunlawfulkillingwaseithermurderormanslaughter.
PartTwo:
Manslaughter
Manslaughterwasdefinedatcommonlawasanunlawfulkillingofanotherwithoutmalice.Itcouldbeeithervoluntaryorinvoluntary.
Manslaughter,incontrasttomurder,isusuallypunishablebyaprisontermwhichmayrangefromoneyeartotenorfourteenyears.
(a)VoluntaryManslaughter
Anintentionalkillingupon“greatprovocation“and“intheheatofpassion“constitutesthecrimeofvoluntarymanslaughter.Aclassicexampleisthekillingbyahusband(orwife)whounexpectedlyfindshisorherspouseinanactofsexualintercoursewithanotherperson,orinasituationevidencingimpendingorimmediatelyconcludedadulterousconduct.Killingoftheparamourorofthespouse,orboth,insuchacircumstancewouldfallwithinthecategoryofmanslaughterbecause(a)theprovocationwasgreat,and(b)thekillerwasinthe“heatofpassion“
Akillingofthistypetreatedlessharshlythanmurder,outofconsiderationforthefrailtiesofhumannature.Inotherwords,thereisanunderstandingappreciationthattheinstinctivereactionofthehusband(orwife)ifsuchasituationistokillordootherseriousharm.Nevertheless,thereisafeelingthatsuchconductshouldbediscouragedbyacriminalsanction,butonewithapenaltyconsiderablylessthanforthecrimeofmurder.
Itisofinteresttonotethatinsuchparamourkillingcasestheconvictionrateisquitelow,primarilybecauseofthewillingnessofjuriestoacceptoccasionallythefrequentlyconcoctedexplanationthatthekillingwasdoneinself-defense;
inotherwords,theparamourattackedthespouse,whokilledhis“attacker”onlyinordertokeepfrombeingkilledhimself.Theresultofacquittalinsuchcasesissometimesdescribedinthepressasanacquittalbyreasonof“theunwrittenlaw”
Afewstates(Texas,NewMexico,andUtah)havetriedtosimplifythewholematterofparamourkillingsbylegalizingsuchkillingswheretheparamouriscaughtintheact.Butinthosestatestheprivilegedoesnotextendtothekillingoftheparticipatingspouse.
Applyingthetestofwhetheranintentionalkillingwasupongreatprovocationandintheheatofpassion,thequestionisputtothejury,ortothejudgeinnon-jurycases,astowhethertheaccusedreactedasa“reasonableman”.Technicallyspeaking,itisnottheparticularsensitivityortemperifthekillerthatistakenintoconsideration,butratheraneffortismadetodeterminehow,a“reasonableman“mighthaveactedundersimilarcircumstances.AnillustrationofthisisafamousEnglishcasewhereasexuallyimpotentmanfeltinsultedbytheremarksofaprostitutewithwhomhehadtriedinvaintohavesexualintercourse,andheproceededtokillher.Hecontendedthathissensitivityoverhisconditionshouldbetakenintoaccountindeterminingwhethertherewasseriousprovocationforthisreaction,butthecourtheldthathisconductwastobejudgedbythestandardofanordinary,normal“reasonableman“
(b)InvoluntaryManslaughter
Involuntarymanslaughtermaybedescribedgenerallyasanunintentionalkillingresultingfromgrossnegligence,orasaresultofdangerousunlawfulconduct.Forexample,apersonwhothrowsaheavyobjectfromtheupperstoriesofabuildingintoanalleyusedwithsomefrequencybypedestriansmaybeguiltyofmanslaughterifakillingresult.Likewise,amotoristmaycommitmanslaughterifhekillsachildataschoolcrossingwhiletravelingatanexcessivespeed.
Anumberofstateshavecreatedarelatedcrimeknownas“recklesshomicide“or“negligenthomicide”forapplicationtokillingbymotoristswhoweredrivinginarecklessorgrosslynegligentmanner.Thisspecialkindofhomicidelegislationwasenactedbecauseofthedifficultyencounteredinconvictingmotoristsformorerevoltinglylabeledoffenseofmanslaughter(i,e.,theslaughterofaman),whichalsocarried,traditionally,aminimumpenaltyofoneyearinthepenitentiary.Itwasthoughtadvisabletocategorizesuchconductwiththelessrevoltinglabelofrecklessornegligenthomicideandalsotopermittheimpositionoflesserpenaltiesthantheoneprescribedformanslaughter.Statedanotherway.itisbettertoobtainareasonablenumberofconvictionscarryingrelativelylightpenaltiesthantogetveryfewconvictionscarryheavypenalties.Thepermissiblerangeofpenaltiesinrecklesshomicideornegligenthomicidestatutesisgenerallyafineupto$1,000,orincarcerationotherthaninapenitentiaryforanyperioduptooneyear,orimprisonmentinapenitentiaryuptofiveyears.(Wherethetrafficvictimofsuchconductdoesnotdie.Anothernewstatutoryoffensemaybeinvoked---“recklessconduct”)
Theflexibilityofpenaltiesintrafficdeathcaseshastheeffectofencouragingpleasofguiltyfromoffenders,anditresultsinconvictionsthatmightnotbesecuredifajudgeorjuryhadnochoiceotherthanapenitentiarysentenceoranacquittal.
PartThreeFederalHomicideLaw
Thereisnogeneralfederalhomicidelaw.Therecanbenone,infact,sinceconstitutionalauthorityislackingforCongresstolegislateuponsubject,exceptwithrespecttokillingswithinafederalterritory,infederalbuildingsoruponotherfederalproperty,orkillingsoffed
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