Mississippi Manslaughter Laws

Created by FindLaw's team of legal writers and editors | Last reviewed June 20, 2016

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In Mississippi, causing the death of another person is categorized as manslaughter if the death was unintended, intended but not premeditated, or committed in a manner that is less egregious than murder. For example, it's manslaughter to cause the death of another person due to "culpable negligence" or reckless action (or inaction) which places that person at an unreasonable and foreseeable risk of injury or death. It is also manslaughter to cause the death of another person while committing a misdemeanor or certain lesser violent felonies. The following is a quick summary of Mississippi manslaughter laws.

Mississippi Manslaughter Laws:

The following table outlines manslaughter laws in Mississippi.

Code Sections MISS. CODE ANN. § 97-3-25 et seq.
What’s Prohibited?

Manslaughter is causing the death of another person under any of the following circumstances:

  • As a result of culpable negligence
  • While committing or attempting to commit any crime or misdemeanor
  • While committing or attempting to commit a felony (except for the felonies of rape, kidnapping, burglary, arson, robbery, sexual battery, unnatural intercourse with a child under 12 years of age, nonconsensual unnatural intercourse with a person, or felonious abuse and/or battery of a child, all of which would constitute murder)
  • The unnecessary killing of a perpetrator while resisting a crime or after his or her failed attempts at committing the crime
  • Killing a trespasser or person who is otherwise invading or attempting to invade one's private rights or property
  • Murder from sudden provocation while in the "heat of passion"
  • While intoxicated and as a result of performing a surgical operation or administering or causing the administration of a poison, drug, or other medicine
  • As a for-profit boat or vessel operator who willfully or negligently overloads a boat with passengers and causes them to drown or otherwise die
  • As a train or steamboat captain, engineer, or other person in charge who, through ignorance or gross neglect, causes a boiler to burst or a car to run off track
  • As an owner of a dangerous animal, which is not confined or escapes, and kills another person who took reasonable caution to avoid the animal

Aiding suicide is willfully advising, encouraging, or assisting a suicide
Penalties

Manslaughter is a felony punishable by up to 1 year in the county jail, 2-20 years in the penitentiary, and at least $500 in fines.

Aiding suicide is a felony punishable by up to 1 year in the county jail, up to 10 years in the penitentiary, and up to $1,000 in fines.

Mississippi Manslaughter Laws: Related Resources

Manslaughter laws can be difficult to figure out. If you find yourself facing a manslaughter charge and would like help, you may contact a Mississippi criminal defense attorney. You can also visit Findlaw's sections on Involuntary Manslaughter Overview, Involuntary Manslaughter Penalties and Sentencing, Voluntary Manslaughter Overview, and Voluntary Manslaughter Penalties and Sentencing for more articles and information on this topic.

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