Murder/Homicide Charges

As an experienced murder defense attorney, Robert L. Lichtenstein is known for top-quality criminal defense, skillfully and effectively defending people accused of violent crimes such as murder / homicide. Our experience allows us to handle all kinds of serious crimes, which can result in a lifetime in prison or the death penalty.
 

Homicide / Murder cases are extremely complex and you should have an experienced Attorney defending you. Oftentimes, criminal defense attorneys must carry out wide-ranging investigations in the fields of ballistics, DNA testing, pathology, accounting, fingerprinting, toxicology, and pharmacology. In addition, our criminal defense team boasts an understanding of rules of evidence, polygraph analysis and can explain the utilities and drawbacks of fingerprint/footprint analysis, cellular phone triangulation, voice identification and eyewitness identification.

Involuntary manslaughter under Va. Code 18.2-36 is accidentally killing someone during an unlawful act or improperly performing a lawful act. The latter is classified as criminal negligence such as handling a firearm recklessly and another person dies. Involuntary manslaughter has the same penalties as voluntary manslaughter with a fine of $2,500 and a prison sentence up to 10 years.

The message to our clients that are being charged for murder / homicide and prosecutors in many such cases is: not every tragedy is a crime. 

Sometimes accidents happen, even if there was a murder involved. Ordinary people become entangled in situations which, from an outsider’s point of view, may appear to warrant conviction and incarceration. Even when a client has done what is alleged, the situation may simply not warrant a conviction or the criminal penalties proposed.

Va. Code 18.2-31 describes capital murder as a Class 1 felony where the killing of a person was willful, deliberate and premeditated. The act includes, but is not limited to, murder-for-hire, abduction, during the commission of a robbery or rape. Killing a public service official such as a fire marshal or a law enforcement officer may also receive capital murder charges. The accused may receive life in prison or a death sentence. Like first degree murder, the fine for capital murder is up to $100,000.

The reason criminal defendants are innocent until proven guilty-the reason prosecutors have to prove homicide cases beyond a reasonable doubt-is because our justice system is set up with checks and balances. The primary balance against over-reaching government power is your murder attorney.

​

Because of our extensive criminal defense experience in defending people accused of murder, we know how to discover what evidence the prosecution has accumulated, what defenses are available, and what options you have.

The longer you wait to retain a criminal trial attorney for your murder/homicide charge, the harder it can be to assemble a strong defense. Robert L. Lichtenstein is here to help you when you need it most. We can represent defendants anywhere within the Commonwealth of Virginia. Get a completely confidential and free consultation regarding your best defense options now by calling our experienced and aggressive criminal defense lawyer, Robert L. Lichtenstein.