Hinesville Murder Defense Attorney

Over 60 Years of Experience in Liberty County & McIntosh County Murder Defense

Murder is a highly specific type of homicide case that typically requires the intent to kill someone. In Georgia, when a person kills another after acting on the evil intent of a plan, they are charged with murder. In most cases, murder charges involve advance planning with the end goal of taking a person's life. However, there are distinctions made between murder charges in different circumstances.

If you're facing a murder charge, you could be facing the lethal injection if you are sentenced to death or could face a lifetime imprisonment. Give yourself the best chance of beating your charge or reducing your sentence by talking to one of our experienced Hinesville homicide attorneys. The sooner we can take a look at the details of your case the faster we can start building a solid defense on your behalf.

Get started by calling us at (866) 580-3089 or filling out our online form today.

Understanding Murder vs. Felony Murder in Georgia

Murder involves what the law calls "malice aforethought," which means the act of killing a person was intentional. For example, if a man plans on killing his boss by slowly poisoning his food over the course of months, this would be considered murder. Conviction of this charge could lead to capital punishment or life in prison.

However, felony murder involves a situation where a death occurs during the commission of an inherently dangerous felony. For example, if someone decides to rob a bank and accidentally kills a teller, that person would face a felony murder charge. There was no planning in the murder itself, merely planning the armed bank robbery. Conviction of this charge can only lead to capital punishment if the district attorney can prove you intended to kill the victim or acted with reckless disregard for life. In all other cases, you would face a lifetime in prison, which is the minimum penalty for murder in the state of Georgia.