Allegations of murder or attempted murder are extremely serious. Apart from being two of the most serious charges a person can face under Florida law, allegations relating to these offenses can be very damaging to your life, career, and family. There’s only one real way to respond to these allegations – get in touch with an experienced criminal defense attorney in Broward County fast.

As a skilled criminal defense attorney in Broward County will tell you, law enforcement and prosecutors take allegations involving these offenses very seriously. They often act quickly to investigate and will be working very hard to build a case against you. To give yourself a fighting chance against these allegations, contact a Florida murder or attempted murder attorney as soon as you can. Your future and freedom may depend on it.

Murder allegations
The offense of murder is typically charged in three degrees in Florida, ranging from the third degree, which is the lowest, to first-degree murder. The offense is committed in the third degree when death occurs in the course of perpetrating a felony, without any intention to cause death. It may be punished by up to 15 years in prison.

In the second degree, the offense occurs when death occurs due to an act of the defendant that was imminently dangerous to another or in the course of committing certain felonies, although without a premeditated design to cause death. The offense attracts up to life in prison.

First-degree murder is incredibly serious. The offense occurs when the defendant kills another person, fully intending to do so. A person may also be charged with the offense if it involved death resulting from the distribution of any controlled substance and the drug was the proximate cause of death. The punishment is death or life in prison.

Attempted murder
Attempted murder is similarly divided into various degrees of offenses and categories of attempted felony murder. The most serious attempted murder allegation is first degree attempted murder which occurs when there is a premeditated design to cause the death of another, although unsuccessful.

In most other cases, the prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that death would have resulted had the defendant’s act been successful.