The charge of homicide can extend to driving. In North Dakota, a motorist can be charged with vehicular homicide, negligent homicide, manslaughter, or murder. If you are found to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs and end up killing another person, you can be charged with vehicular homicide. A blood alcohol content or BAC of at least .08% is needed to show that a person was impaired.
Negligent Homicide
You will need to confer with a criminal lawyer in Fargo, ND if you are charged with negligent homicide while driving. Negligent homicide, as the name suggests, is when a person kills another person by driving negligently. Usually, an individual unknowingly behaves in this manner or he or she does something that produces a significant risk to other people.
Vehicular Manslaughter
A criminal lawyer should also be immediately contacted if you are charged with vehicular manslaughter. If you drive recklessly and kill another person, this charge will be leveled against you. In this case, your reckless behavior or knowing disregard of the risk leads to the charge.
Murder
If a person is charged with murder, he or she needs to design a defense immediately with a criminal lawyer. In this case, your killing of another person while driving is considered to show an extreme disregard for human life. The difference between murder and manslaughter is measured in culpability. While manslaughter is considered more reckless, murder is deemed more egregious.
Penalties
Each of the abovementioned charges carries some serious penalties and all are classified as felonies. For example, vehicular homicide is a class A felony. Therefore, a conviction can carry from three to 20 years in a penitentiary. If you are convicted of negligent homicide, you can face up to five years in prison.
Who to Contact
Manslaughter carries a penalty of ten years in prison while murder, which is a class AA felony, can lead to life in prison. That is why you need to visit Rosenquist & Arnason PC if you have been charged with any form of homicide while driving.
