Homicide Attorneys

Homicide Attorneys

At Houlon Berman, we have over 50 years of experience representing clients in criminal matters all over the State of Maryland. We take pride in the results we get for our clients and can assist you in any criminal case, regardless of the charges, due to our experienced and dedicated attorneys. Our approach starts with full investigation of the facts of your case in full consideration of the elements of the offense and an eye toward obtaining the best possible results for you. The elements of every offense with which you are charged are described at trial for the jury in the form of a jury instruction such as are described below.

In every homicide case, the State usually charges common law murder which includes 4 separate charges.  The prosecution always bears the burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. The burden of proof is always on the prosecution and never the client, plus the jury’s verdict must be unanimous.

In order to prove the offense of First Degree Murder, the State must prove the following elements of the offense:

(1)   that the defendant caused the death of an individual; and

(2)   that the killing was willful, deliberate, and premeditated.

In order to prove the offense of Second Degree Murder, the State must prove the following elements of the offense:

(1)   that the defendant caused the death of an individual; and

(2)   that the defendant engaged in the deadly conduct either with the intent to kill or with the intent to inflict such serious bodily harm that death would be the likely result.

In order to prove the offense of Voluntary Manslaughter, the State must prove the following elements of the offense:

(1)    the defendant was not the aggressor;
(2)  the defendant actually believed that he or she was in immediate and imminent danger of death or serious bodily harm;
(3)    the defendant’s belief was reasonable; and
(4)  the defendant used no more force than was reasonably necessary to defend him or herself in light of the threatened or actual force.

In order to prove the offense of Involuntary Manslaughter, the State must prove the following elements of the offense:

(1)   that the defendant acted in a grossly negligent manner; and

(2)   that this grossly negligent conduct caused the death of an individual

In Maryland County’s such as Prince George’s (Upper Marlboro) and Montgomery (Rockville) as well as D.C., many homicide cases go to trial, while others reach a resolution in lieu of trial. At Houlon Berman, we take each and every homicide case one by one with an eye toward achieving the best possible result for our clients. Our criminal defense attorneys at Houlon Berman have broad experience representing clients successfully in homicide cases. Our success derives from our years of experience,  uncompromising commitment to our clients, and hard work.

If you have a homicide case in Upper Marlboro, Hyattsville, Bowie, Greenbelt, College Park, Laurel, Rockville, Bethesda, Silver Spring, or anywhere else in the State of Maryland, please contact us.

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