Houston Manslaughter Lawyer

Providing the Quality Legal Defense You Deserve

If you were arrested and charged with manslaughter in Texas, this is a felony offense that can result in years of prison time. After all, you’re being accused of taking someone’s life without premeditation, so you can expect the penalties to be severe. Fortunately, a skilled Houston manslaughter lawyer can defend you from this serious accusation.

When you hire the Cory Roth Law Office to represent you during your criminal defense case, you will have a lawyer by your side to review the details, gather evidence, and argue against the charge. Getting legal help is essential if you want the best possible outcome for your case, so contact our Houston law office to talk to a skilled manslaughter lawyer about your legal options.

What Is Manslaughter?

The Texas legal system considers manslaughter to be a type of criminal homicide, so it’s among the most serious accusations you can face, with only murder being more severe. Manslaughter is defined as the unlawful, reckless killing of someone without premeditation. This means you’re charged with illegally ending someone’s life by acting negligently, recklessly, or under intense emotional distress after being provoked.

While manslaughter and murder are both criminal homicide charges, the latter is considered more serious. This is because a murder charge requires the prosecutor to prove you had premeditation, intent, or knowledge that you were going to cause the victim’s death. Without one of these elements, you could be charged with manslaughter, but not murder. This is why manslaughter is usually a second-degree felony in Texas, while murder is a first-degree charge.

Another detail to know about manslaughter in Texas is that while many states make a distinction between voluntary and involuntary manslaughter, this state does not. However, it does recognize two specific types of manslaughter. One is vehicular manslaughter, which is when you’re accused of causing someone’s death by driving recklessly. The other is intoxicated manslaughter, which accuses you of causing someone’s death by driving while intoxicated. If you need clarification on your specific manslaughter charge or are ready to get criminal defense help, call our Houston law firm to discuss your case.

What Are the Penalties for Manslaughter in Texas?

Manslaughter is always considered a felony since it involves the loss of someone’s life, so you can typically expect to be sentenced to years in prison if convicted. More specifically, this second-degree felony can result in two to 20 years in prison. You’ll also have to pay the court up to $10,000 in fines. If you’re found guilty of intoxicated manslaughter, you might have additional penalties, such as hundreds of hours of community service.

Even after you’ve served your time, you could face the repercussions of a felony conviction for years. For example, you will lose your right to vote, own a firearm, serve on a jury, get federal student loans, or run for office. You might also have difficulty finding housing or employment with a felony on your criminal record.

This is why you should hire a lawyer to try to reduce your charges or avoid conviction altogether. A skilled legal professional can also help minimize your penalties and answer questions about your sentence. In some instances, you could get probation instead of prison time, such as if you didn’t use a deadly weapon to commit the offense. If you’re sentenced to prison, you may be eligible for parole after serving a portion of your sentence. An experienced Houston manslaughter lawyer will provide legal guidance after reviewing your circumstances, so call the Cory Roth Law Office today.

What Should You Expect from Your Case?

If you’re charged with manslaughter in Texas, it’s essential to understand what this means. First, you should know that the prosecutor does not have to prove that you planned or intended to kill the alleged victim like they do with a murder charge. As long as they can show that you acted in a reckless or negligent way that caused someone’s death, you could be convicted of manslaughter.

For example, if you’re accused of pinning someone to the ground during a fight and putting your full weight on their neck, you could be convicted of manslaughter even if you did not intend to end their life. If you broke a traffic law while driving, causing an accident that killed someone, you could be charged with vehicular manslaughter. If you were impaired by alcohol or drugs when you did this, the charge would likely be intoxicated manslaughter.

Regardless of the details, you should hire a lawyer to create a strong defense angle. Skilled attorneys can look at what led to the incident and find evidence to negate the allegations. Depending on your case, your lawyer could argue that you acted in self-defense or have an alibi that proves you were not at the crime scene. They could also get your charges reduced to criminally negligent homicide, assault, or other less severe offenses. If you want to know how our legal team would approach your case, call us for a consultation.

Are You Ready to Talk to a Houston Manslaughter Lawyer?

If you’re worried about the potential consequences of a manslaughter accusation, we urge you to call our Houston law office as soon as possible. When you discuss your case with an experienced manslaughter lawyer, you will find out what your specific charges are, what evidence we can use in your favor, and what the best possible outcome would be.

Our goal is to give you peace of mind by ensuring you know your case is in capable hands from the start. We do this by keeping you informed about every step of the case, providing clear answers to your questions, and making sure you know the possible outcomes of cases like yours. If you’re ready to get started, call our Houston law firm at 832-400-4133.