Homicide Offenses

The attorneys at Lassiter & Cassinelli have experience with all phases of a homicide case.

Experience Little Rock Attorneys for Homicide Offenses

If you or someone you know is facing an allegation of a homicide offense—or even has some concern they may be—you need to consult an experienced attorney immediately. Often the things that occur in the first minutes, hours, and days immediately following an alleged homicide will dictate the outcome of a case months or years down the road. You need the expertise of a trial-seasoned attorney at EVERY stage of a homicide investigation.

In Arkansas, homicide offenses run the gamut all the way from Capital Murder, which is punishable by Life Imprisonment Without Parole or Death, down to Negligent Homicide, which is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in county jail and/or up to a $2,500 fine. The following table illustrates the potential punishment ranges and associated minimum time to serve before parole eligibility for each type of homicide offense (Note: sentencing ranges may higher for those with more than one prior felony conviction) :

OFFENSE	PUNISHMENT RANGE	ELIGIBLE FOR PROBATION OR SUSPENDED SENTENCE?	MINIMUM TIME TO SERVE BEFORE PAROLE ELIGIBILITY
Capital Murder	Death or Life Without Parole	No.	Death = Death Life Without Parole = Life Without Parole Juvenile offenders may only be sentenced to life with parole eligibility at 30 years.
Murder in the First Degree	10-40 years or life	No.	70% of any term of years Life = Life Without Parole For juvenile offenders: life = Life with parole eligibility at 25 years
Murder in the Second Degree	6-30 years	No.50	50% of term, which can be reduced to 25% of term with meritorious good time
Manslaughter	3-10 years imprisonment and/or up to $10,000 fine	Yes.	1/3 of term, which can be reduced to 1/6 of term with meritorious good time
Negligent Homicide	Up to one year in county jail and/or up to $2,500 fine	Yes.	*Depends on the county

CAPITAL MURDER

PUNISHMENT RANGE

Death or Life Without Parole

ELIGIBLE FOR PROBATION OR SUSPENDED SENTENCE?

No.

MINIMUM TIME TO SERVE BEFORE PAROLE ELIGIBILITY

Death = Death

Life Without Parole = Life Without Parole

Juvenile offenders may only be sentenced to life with parole eligibility at 30 years.

Murder in the First Degree

PUNISHMENT RANGE

10-40 years or life

ELIGIBLE FOR PROBATION OR SUSPENDED SENTENCE?

No.

MINIMUM TIME TO SERVE BEFORE PAROLE ELIGIBILITY

70% of any term of years

Life = Life Without Parole

For juvenile offenders: life = Life with parole eligibility at 25 years

Murder in the Second Degree

PUNISHMENT RANGE

6-30 years

ELIGIBLE FOR PROBATION OR SUSPENDED SENTENCE?

No.

MINIMUM TIME TO SERVE BEFORE PAROLE ELIGIBILITY

50% of term, which can be reduced to 25% of term with meritorious good time

Manslaughter

PUNISHMENT RANGE

3-10 years imprisonment and/or up to $10,000 fine

ELIGIBLE FOR PROBATION OR SUSPENDED SENTENCE?

Yes.

MINIMUM TIME TO SERVE BEFORE PAROLE ELIGIBILITY

1/3 of term, which can be reduced to 1/6 of term with meritorious good time

Negligent Homicide

PUNISHMENT RANGE

Up to one year in county jail and/or up to $2,500 fine

ELIGIBLE FOR PROBATION OR SUSPENDED SENTENCE?

Yes.

MINIMUM TIME TO SERVE BEFORE PAROLE ELIGIBILITY

*Depends on the county

Knowledge and experience with this type of offense is key, as 20 years on Murder in the First Degree is often less preferable than a 30-year sentence on Murder in the Second Degree despite the higher term of years. That is because the 30-year sentence on the lesser offense could result in the person being eligible for parole more than six years earlier. You need an attorney who has been in the trenches in murder cases in terms of preparing cases for trial, negotiating favorable pleas, and our attorneys have experience with all phases of a homicide case: from the initial investigation to the jury trial, and even on appeal and postconviction review. Our attorneys have achieved acquittals in homicide cases in numerous countries throughout the State of Arkansas. Further, our attorneys have achieved numerous appellate reversals in homicide cases and favorable outcomes in post-conviction cases. If you or someone you care about is facing this type of charge, do not hesitate to protect yourself and your future. Call us today.

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1218 West Sixth Street
Little Rock, Arkansas 72201

Tel: (501) 370-9300
Fax: (501) 370-9306

Email: info@lasscass.com