A person who kills another human being may not only have committed homicide. Homicide can be divided into murder and manslaughter. Cases differ from one another and it is the examination of every single detail that will determine if someone will be charged with either manslaughter or murder. You may wonder what the difference is. In the counties of Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach and Broward in South Florida, when a person kills another without having malice aforethought, it means the person has committed manslaughter. When we say malice aforethought, we mean the premeditation to commit the murder. Many times, manslaughter occurs due to negligence by the perpetrator towards another human being.
In South Florida, a person would have committed murder when he or she planned the killing before the event actually occurred. It is the State who will have the burden of proving that the perpetrator of the homicide had premeditated his actions.
If you are being charged with murder or manslaughter in Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, Miami, or other areas in South Florida, you have to call an experienced and qualified criminal attorney for a free consultation on your case.