Nevada Second-Degree Murder
Created by FindLaw's team of legal writers and editors | Last reviewed June 20, 2016
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In Nevada, there are several types of criminal homicide including: first-degree murder, second-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, and involuntary manslaughter. This article provides a brief overview of Nevada's second-degree murder law.
First-Degree Murder vs. Second-Degree Murder in Nevada
In most states, first-degree murder is defined as an unlawful killing that is both willful and premeditated. On the other hand, second-degree murder ordinarily doesn't involve premeditation and is either an unplanned intentional killing, or a death caused by a reckless disregard for human life. However, under Nevada's homicide laws first-degree murder is clearly defined, and any other murder is classified as second-degree murder.
Code Section |
Nevada Code section 200.030: Degrees of Murder |
Murder in the First Degree
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First-degree murder is any killing that is committed by poison, lying in wait, torture, or by any other kind of willful, deliberate, and premeditated killing committed:
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Murder in the Second Degree | Murder of the second degree is all other kinds of murder. |
Penalties
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Murder in the second-degree is a category A felony that can be punished by imprisonment:
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Additional Resources
State laws change frequently. For case specific information regarding Nevada's second-degree murder law contact a local criminal defense lawyer.
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