There are different defense strategies that an experienced Fort Collins criminal defense attorney can employ during a homicide criminal trial. I recently read an article about a young man who is on trial in Larimer County for the Kidnapping and Murder of his ex-girlfriend. I have been following the case, and recently read an update where the young man testified in the trial – actually admitting to killing the girl. So, why would any defense attorney allow their client to admit to the crime during trial? In this case, it actually makes sense because of the elements to the Murder in the First Degree charge. Let’s take a closer look at this crime and why a man would admit to killing someone while testifying at his trial.
Larimer County Murder in the First Degree Lawyer: Definition of 1st Degree Murder
The Larimer, Boulder, and Grand County, Colorado law definition of Murder in the First Degree as it applies to the case above – found under C.R.S. 18-3-102(1)(a) – is:
(a) After deliberation and with the intent to cause the death of a person other than himself, he causes the death of that person or of another person;
Basically, there are two vital parts to this statute:
- Cause the death of another, and
- Premeditation
When 1st Degree Murder is charged, the prosecution must prove that the defendant not only caused the death of the person, but also pre-planned it. It is the premeditation element that the young man’s defense attorneys are trying to disprove. By admitting to killing the girl, he can then speak to his intent and discuss whether or not he had predetermined to take her life or whether it was a heat of passion type of homicide.
Fort Collins Lawyer: Sentence for First Degree Murder / Homicide
In Fort Collins, Loveland, and Estes Park, Murder in the First Degree is a class 1 felony, which means the minimum sentence is life in the Colorado Department of Corrections and the maximum sentence is death. In the case above, the Larimer County District Attorneys are not seeking the death penalty, so, if the man is found guilty of Murder in the 1st Degree, he will be going to prison for the rest of his life.
If you are innocent and have been charged with First Degree Murder, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and contact Fort Collins’ best criminal defense attorneys from the O’Malley Law Office at 970-658-0007 today. Together, we can protect your future.
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