When the dangerous driving of a person leads to someone else’s death, vehicular manslaughter may be charged. In some cases the person was driving illegally, in other issues they were following laws but was doing so in a dangerous and / or negligent way. This can be an extremely serious charge – especially if you’re charged with other crimes along with it.
A common co-charge is a DUI. In the event that a person is drunk or under the influence of drugs, and they get into an accident in which another person dies, that charge can be gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. In the event that the defendant has already had one or more DUIs on their record, it may even be charged as second degree murder. No matter what the situation is, if you’ve been charged with vehicular manslaughter in California then you need to contact Law Offices of Torrence L. Howell as soon as possible.
Potential punishments for vehicular manslaughter
A conviction for vehicular manslaughter can range anywhere from one year in jail to ten years in prison. If a DUI was involved and the defendant has one or more DUIs in their past, then they could be looking at 15 years in prison or even a life sentence. Judges can add all sorts of additional requirements too, like restitution to the victims, license restrictions and / or suspensions, DUI probation, and community service. These restrictions can be added whether the defendant is being charged with a felony or a misdemeanor.
You do have defense options
It can feel as though this is a hopeless situation but if you’ve been charged with a California vehicular manslaughter charge then the first thing we’ll do is to investigate who was to blame for the accident. In many cases, Law Offices of Torrence L. Howell will hire experts who can reconstruct the accident and confirm or deny that you were responsible for the accident.
We may also look for new eye witnesses. If there was DUI involved in your case, then we may work to argue that you weren’t over the legal limit. If you were under the influence of drugs then we may work to prove that those drugs weren’t impairing your driving. If successful, these tactics could reduce your charges down from gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated to vehicular manslaughter. The result would be a much less severe punishment.
Call us today for your free case evaluation
There are many technical aspects to a successful defense against vehicular manslaughter. Law Offices of Torrence L. Howell has years of experience exploring every possible option for a case. Call us today at 909-920-0908 for your free case evaluation. Together you and Law Offices of Torrence L. Howell will decide if the best option is to fight the charges or seek an advantageous plea deal.
