Louisiana Homicide Defense Lawyers Providing Aggressive Criminal Defense Services for Clients Facing Serious Charges

If you’ve been accused of murder, you need to hire a criminal defense attorney to represent you immediately. A homicide conviction can change your future forever since the penalties range from years in prison to the death penalty.

Don’t let this criminal charge effectively end your life as you know it. Instead, talk to Keith T. Whiddon, Attorney at Law, LLC, to get legal support for your criminal case. You deserve a chance to tell your side of the story after your arrest. Contact our law firm to discuss your case during a free consultation with a Shreveport criminal defense lawyer.

What Are the Degrees of Murder in Louisiana?

The two most serious kinds of homicide are first and second-degree murder. During your free consultation, your criminal defense attorney will explain which criminal charge you’re facing and why.

The most serious charge is first-degree murder, which is the act of killing someone with the intention to kill or inflict serious personal injury. Even if it’s not clear you intended to murder someone, you could be charged this way if the victim was:

Under age 12
Over age 65
Witness to a crime
A firefighter, police offer, correctional officer, or cab driver
Killed while you committed a serious crime, such as rape, armed robbery, aggravated burglary, or kidnapping

If none of these factors apply, you could face second-degree murder. This means you did not intend to kill or cause severe personal injury, or you did, but you were not committing a felony at the time. Both charges will seriously affect your future, so call a criminal defense attorney today.

What Are Other Homicide Charges?

Some criminal charges involving homicide acknowledge that you didn’t mean to kill someone, but your actions were negligent enough to do so. They include the following criminal charges:

Negligent homicide is when your disregard for others unintentionally causes someone’s death.
Vehicular homicide is when you kill someone while operating your car or boat under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Manslaughter is when you intentionally kill someone after being provoked and acting in the heat of the moment without the chance to reflect.

If you were arrested and are facing criminal charges like these in the Shreveport/Bossier area, contact our law firm for advice on your constitutional rights. Our criminal defense lawyers are well-versed in criminal law and have handled countless murder cases in areas like Bossier City and Shreveport, LA. Call our law firm to schedule a free consultation with a criminal defense attorney.

What Penalties Do You Face for Homicide?

You need a Shreveport, LA, criminal defense attorney by your side because you’ll be sentenced to years in prison if you’re convicted of a criminal offense involving homicide. Specific details of your criminal case might affect your penalties, but homicide convictions can lead to these consequences:

First-degree murder: The death penalty or life in prison without parole
Second-degree murder: Life in prison without parole
Manslaughter: Up to 40 years in prison, with a minimum of 10 years if the victim is younger than 10
Negligent homicide: Up to five years in prison, with a minimum of two years if the victim is younger than ten
Vehicular homicide: Between 5 and 30 years in prison

Hiring Shreveport criminal defense lawyers gives you a chance to avoid a conviction or at least reduce your punishment. If you want to protect your legal rights in criminal court, contact our law firm to hire experienced criminal defense attorneys who will work hard to defend you before a judge.

How Can Homicide Defense Lawyers Help You?

If you’re ready to talk to a skilled criminal defense lawyer near Shreveport, LA, call our law firm to start your defense case. When you hire Keith T. Whiddon, Attorney at Law, LLC, you will have access to Shreveport criminal defense lawyers who have handled legal issues like yours for numerous clients.

Our attorneys are knowledgeable about criminal law, so whether you were arrested for homicide, drug possession, theft, domestic violence, DWI charges, assault, or other crimes, our legal practice can help. Contact us for a free consultation at 318-594-3592 so you can talk to Shreveport criminal defense attorneys about what to expect from the court and how we approach criminal cases like yours.