3 Things To Know If You Are Being Charged With Attempted Murder

If there is one type of crime that you do not want to be found guilty of committing, it is any type of violent crime. Even something as seemingly low-key as attempted murder can carry some of the harshest punishments. If you have managed to get charged with attempted murder, gettuing the best criminal defense attorney you can find is critical. Here are a few things you will have to know as your case proceeds. 

Attempted murder charges can lead to a life sentence. 

In some states, someone doesn't actually have to lose their life in order for you to get stuck with a life sentence. You can actually be handed a life sentence for a first-degree attempted murder charge. Of course, most places do offer a possibility of parole with a life sentence that has resulted from an attempted murder charge, but this can also depend on the details surrounding your case. Most people who end up charged with first-degree murder will spend at least ten years behind bars. 

Disproving an attempt to murder can be a prime defense in your case. 

One of the main things that must be present in an attempted murder case is an intent to take someone's life. If you did not set out with an intent to do so, this is going to be the prime defense in your case. Intent can be a fickle thing, however. For example, you can't be charged with attempted murder just because you beat someone up so badly that they almost died; instead, you would have had to set out with that intention of doing so in hopes you would take their life. Yoru attorney will work really hard in your case to prove that whatever may have happened, you did not intend to take a life before the incident took place. 

Having a prior criminal record can mean stiffer penalties if charged with attempted murder. 

If you have been charged with a violent crime in the past, no matter how long ago that may have been, there is a good chance you will see harsher sentencing if you are found guilty of attempted murder. Some states have laws that make penalties harsher every time someone commits a violent crime. For instance, instead of being sentenced to 10 years for attempted murder, you may be sentenced to 20 years if this was a repeat violent crime charge. 

For more information, contact a criminal law attorney.

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