Murder in Washington state law constitutes the intentional killing, under circumstances defined by law, of people within or under the jurisdiction of the U.S. state of
Washington
Washington most commonly refers to:
* George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States
* Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A ...
.
In the state of
Washington
Washington most commonly refers to:
* George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States
* Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A ...
, a person may be convicted of first-degree murder when there is a premeditated intent to cause the death of another person. Murder in the first-degree is a class A felony in the state of Washington. If a person is convicted of first-degree murder, they will not receive anything lower than life imprisonment with the possibility of parole.
The offender can be charged with aggravated first-degree murder if he commits first-degree murder and have an aggravating circumstance, such as if the individual murders a public safety official, such as a police officer, firefighter, or paramedic.
The United States
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the National public health institutes, national public health agency of the United States. It is a Federal agencies of the United States, United States federal agency under the United S ...
reported that in the year 2020, the state had a murder rate well below the median for the entire country.
Felony murder rule
In the state of Washington, the
common law
Common law (also known as judicial precedent, judge-made law, or case law) is the body of law primarily developed through judicial decisions rather than statutes. Although common law may incorporate certain statutes, it is largely based on prece ...
felony murder rule
The rule of felony murder is a legal doctrine in some common law jurisdictions that broadens the crime of murder: when someone is killed (regardless of intent to kill) in the commission of a dangerous or enumerated crime (called a felony in so ...
is codified at
Revised Code of Washington The Revised Code of Washington (RCW) is the compilation of all permanent laws currently in force in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. Temporary laws such as appropriations acts are excluded. It is published by the Washington State S ...
§§ 9A.32.030(c) and 9A.32.050(b).
First degree felony murder
First degree felony murder is defined as a homicide committed by a participant against someone other than another participant, who is committing or attempting to commit (including during immediate flight from the crime) one of the following crimes:
(1) robbery in the first or second degree,
(2) rape in the first or second degree,
(3) burglary in the first degree,
(4) arson in the first or second degree, or
(5) kidnapping in the first or second degree.
Second degree felony murder
Second degree felony murder committed in the course of a felony not listed under first degree felony murder and in furtherance of such crime and causes the death of a person other than one of the participants.
Penalties
See also
*
Law of Washington (state)
The law of Washington (state), Washington consists of several levels, including constitutional, statutory, regulatory and case law, as well as local ordinances. The ''Revised Code of Washington'' forms the general statutory law.
Sources
The Con ...
*
Felony murder in the United States
References
Murder in the United States
U.S. state criminal law
Washington (state) law
{{Murder in the United States by jurisdiction