Unlawful killings without malice or intent are considered manslaughter.
However, a self-defense killing might be considered manslaughter if the killer established control of the situation before the killing took place.
If they reject these, they must consider involuntary manslaughter, "the unlawful killing of a human being without malice."
Justice Rothwax said the jury could not consider first-degree manslaughter unless it had found the defendant not guilty of murder.
Two members of the Final Exit Network were charged with aiding in a suicide (which is considered manslaughter under Arizona law) and conspiracy to commit manslaughter.
"What you would consider manslaughter," Mason said, "might be considered murder by a district attorney."
They were slavishly true to the instructions of Justice Howard Bell to consider manslaughter only if they first acquitted Mr. Chambers of murder.
He also wrote Wisconsin's Len Bias Law, which makes providing drugs that prove fatal to be considered manslaughter.
Suicide is legal in New York, but helping a person commit suicide is considered manslaughter.
There is no intent to kill, and a resulting death would not be considered murder, but would be considered involuntary manslaughter.