New York City Murder Defense Attorneys
Need a good criminal defense?
No charge is more serious—or has more serious consequences—than murder. And in no case is it more important that you have a lawyer with the experience and tenacity to get the best possible results; there is simply too much at stake to settle for less! Turn to the professionals at The Law Offices of Goldman & Associates to prepare a comprehensive legal defense if you have been charged with murder.
Have you been arrested for murder? Call now for counsel! When your entire future is at stake, you need a legal defense team who will work for you.
Why choose The Law Offices of Goldman & Associates? You will benefit from the following services:
- 24/7 availability
- Over three decades of criminal defense experience
- Free initial consultation
- Dedicated legal representation
- Personal attention and advice
- Work directly with Attorney Goldman
Don't wait to get the proven and qualified representation that could save your life and your future! Call us today to discuss your criminal charges.
What does a murder conviction entail?
Murder is defined as the unlawful killing of another person without excuse or justification. There are two degrees of murder in New York.
Second degree murder involves:
- Reckless actions that display "depraved indifference to human life"
- Causing a death after fleeing a robbery, burglary, kidnapping, arson, rape and/or sexual assault
Murder in the second degree comes with a sentence of 15 to 25 years in prison.
The following qualify as first degree murder:
- Killing involving premeditation
- Intentionally killing a police officer, correctional employee, witness, judge, etc. while acting in the course of their duties
- Killing a person while committing or leaving a felony
- Killing someone under torture or committing a terrorist act
- Acting as a murderer for hire
This is the most serious charge and can result in life in prison without parole.
Legal Defenses to Murder Charges
At The Law Offices of Goldman & Associates, we are committed to preparing an effective and personalized legal defense to help you either obtain a not-guilty verdict, get your case dismissed altogether, or reduce the murder charge to a less serious one, such as involuntary manslaughter. To be found guilty of murder, the prosecutors must prove that you acted with a certain mental state, which is why there are many defenses based on the lack of the required mental state.
Some of the most common defenses to homicide include:
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Self-defense - If you reasonably believed that you or another person was in imminent danger of suffering a serious injury or being killed, you believed immediate force was required to protect yourself and another person when facing such danger, and you used the necessary amount of force to protect yourself or another person, then you could be found not guilty of murder.
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Mistaken identity - If the police mistakenly identified you to be the murder suspect but you have an alibi to prove you were somewhere else when the alleged offense occurred, you could be found not guilty of murder. Witness testimony, as well as DNA and other physical evidence, may help strengthen your alibi.
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Accidental killing - In order to be convicted of murder, the prosecution must prove malice afterthought was involved. In other words, you had to be engaged in illegal activity, you failed to use ordinary caution during the activity, and you intended to kill another person. If the prosecution cannot prove any of the aforementioned elements, you could be charged with voluntary or involuntary manslaughter, rather than murder.
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Violation of your Fourth Amendment right - If the police unlawfully searched you, your home, or your vehicle and seized evidence to use against you in a murder case, an experienced lawyer may file a motion to suppress evidence to throw out such evidence from being used during the trial. This could result in your charges being dismissed or reduced.
- Insanity - In order to be considered “insane” in the eyes of the court, you must not understand the nature of the alleged offense and fail to find the difference between right and wrong. If those two elements are proven, then that means you lacked the required state of mind for malice afterthought to commit murder.
Get our Serious & Seasoned Criminal Defense Attorneys from The Law Offices of Goldman & Associates
The Law Offices of Goldman & Associates knows who to speak to and what questions to ask when defending a client from murder charges. We know what needs to be done and how best to do it. The Law Offices of Goldman & Associates can contest the prosecution in court and argue for a reduced sentence or to have your charges dropped.
Contact our firm today for a free consultation. We are here to defend your future and your freedom.