Depraved heart murder

Depraved heart murder

Depraved heart murder is an American legal term for an action that demonstrates a "callous disregard for human life" and results in death. In most states, depraved heart killings constitute either second-degree murder or first-degree manslaughter.

Examples might be:
* Piloting a motorboat at high speed through a crowded swimming area on a lake.
* Shooting a gun randomly at a bus with passengers aboard.
* Speeding in a car to the right of a school bus that is unloading children.
* Shooting a gun into a thicket, not knowing or caring if anyone is in the thicket.

If no death results, such acts would generally be defined as reckless endangerment and possibly other crimes, such as assault.


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • depraved–heart murder — see murder Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996 …   Law dictionary

  • depraved-heart murder — n. A murder resulting from an act of reckless disregard for the safety of others. See also murder. Webster s New World Law Dictionary. Susan Ellis Wild. 2000 …   Law dictionary

  • Depraved-heart murder — Homicide Murder …   Wikipedia

  • murder — mur·der 1 / mər dər/ n [partly from Old English morthor; partly from Old French murdre, of Germanic origin]: the crime of unlawfully and unjustifiably killing another under circumstances defined by statute (as with premeditation); esp: such a… …   Law dictionary

  • Murder — Murderer redirects here. For other uses, see Murderer (disambiguation). For other uses, see Murder (disambiguation) …   Wikipedia

  • Murder–suicide — Suicide Social …   Wikipedia

  • murder — The unlawfuj killing of a human being by another with malice aforethought, either express or implied. Com. v. Carroll, 194 A.2d 911, 914. The crime is defined by statute in most states (e.g. Calif. Penal Code, No. 187). The Model Penal Code… …   Black's law dictionary

  • murder — The unlawfuj killing of a human being by another with malice aforethought, either express or implied. Com. v. Carroll, 194 A.2d 911, 914. The crime is defined by statute in most states (e.g. Calif. Penal Code, No. 187). The Model Penal Code… …   Black's law dictionary

  • Mass murder — Homicide Murde …   Wikipedia

  • Misdemeanor murder — Homicide Murder …   Wikipedia

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