Southern Utah Defense Lawyer

As with most crimes that seem self-explanatory, murder has a number of different subsets and charges. The definition that most associate with murder is simply a person intentionally or knowingly causing the death of another. This definition is contained under Utah’s murder statute; however, other actions are also included in the statute, such as:

• Intending to cause serious bodily injury but instead causing death
• Causing death while acting under circumstances evidencing a depraved indifference to human life
• The actor causes death while engaged in the commission or attempted commission of a predicate offense
• Recklessly causing death to a peace officer in the process of an assault on the peace officer or interfering with the peace officer’s lawful arrest.

In addition to murder, there is also an aggravated murder statute in Utah that outlines aggravating circumstances of the murder, such as causing great risks to others, the murder taking place in jail, there were other violent or sexual crimes involved, or prior offenses.

Possible Defenses To Murder

Even though murder charges are some of the most serious charges in the legal system, it does not mean they are not defendable. With murder or aggravated murder, the prosecution must show in most circumstances that the actor intentionally or knowingly took the life of the other person. This can be very difficult to show and is usually a main focus for the defense. Another possibility in murder cases is self-defense; if the victim was the aggressor and depending on their actions, there could be grounds for self-defense.

Your Murder Defense Lawyer

If you have been charged with murder, then you need a lawyer who considers your case to be as important as you do. The attorneys at Salcido Law Firm will put all of their efforts into your case the minute they are hired. With a team of attorneys and private investigators, every aspect of your case will be dissected and investigated until every possible defense is found. You know what is at stake with murder charges, and you know you can’t risk not having the best defense available. Call us at 435-922-3277 or email us today to set up a free consultation so you can get started on that defense.