Legal Terms Chapter 13 - Homicide

Question 1

Homicide

Answer 1

The killing of a human being by another human being.

Question 2

Cidere

Answer 2

To kill.

Question 3

Feticide

Answer 3

The killing a fetus in the womb; abortion.

Question 4

Fraticide

Answer 4

The killing of one’s brother.

Question 5

Genocide

Answer 5

The killing of a racial or political group.

Question 6

Infanticide

Answer 6

The killing of an infant soon after birth.

Question 7

Matricide

Answer 7

The killing of one’s mother.

Question 8

Patricide

Answer 8

The killing of one’s father.

Question 9

Sororicide

Answer 9

The killing of one’s sister.

Question 10

Suicide

Answer 10

The killing of oneself; murder at common law.

Question 11

Uxoricide

Answer 11

The killing of one’s wife.

Question 12

Mariticide

Answer 12

The killing of one’s husband.

Question 13

Justifiable homicide

Answer 13

The taking of a human life when a lawful justification exists; a killing made in self-defense is a justifiable homicide.

Question 14

Excusable homicide

Answer 14

The taking of a human life when an excuse exists.

Question 15

Self-defense

Answer 15

Justification for the use of force when resisting attack, including if it kills assailant.

Question 16

Imminent danger

Answer 16

The situation that exists where an unlawful attack is about to happen.

Question 17

Castle doctrine

Answer 17

A doctrine that allows people to use all necessary force, without first retreating, to defend themselves when they are in their home.

Question 18

Viable

Answer 18

Having the appearance of being able to live.

Question 19

Year-and-a-day rule

Answer 19

The rule requiring that a victim’s death must have occurred within a year and a day after the attack occurred in order for the defendant to be convicted of a homicide.

Question 20

Proximate cause

Answer 20

The dominant or moving cause; the defendant’s act was the dominant cause of death.

Question 21

Corpus delicti

Answer 21

A body on which a crime has been committed.

Question 22

Causation

Answer 22

The direct and proximate cause of someone’s injuries.

Question 23

Felonious homicide

Answer 23

A homicide done with the intent to commit a felony.

Question 24

Felon

Answer 24

A person who has committed a felony.

Question 25

Capital crime

Answer 25

A crime that is punishable by death.

Question 26

Murder

Answer 26

The unlawful killing of a human being by another with malice aforethought.

Question 27

Malice aforethought

Answer 27

Evil intent; that state of mind that is reckless of law and of the legal rights of others.

Question 28

Death with dignity statutes

Answer 28

A type of law that allows doctors to prescribe lethal doses of medication to terminally ill people who have 6 months or less to live.

Question 29

Euthanasia

Answer 29

The act of painlessly putting to death someone suffering from an incurable disease as an act of mercy; illegal in the U.S.

Question 30

Right-to-die

Answer 30

Laws allowing dying people to refuse extraordinary treatment to prolong life.

Question 31

First degree murder

Answer 31

Murder committed with deliberate premeditation malice aforethought, OR with extreme atrocity or cruelty, OR while in the commission of a felony such as burglary, robbery, or rape.

Question 32

Felony murder

Answer 32

Murder committed while in the commission or attempted commission of a crime punishable with death or imprisonment for life.

Question 33

Premeditated malice aforethought

Answer 33

Thinking over, deliberating on, or weighing in the mind beforehand.

Question 34

Second degree murder

Answer 34

In some states, this is when the malice aforethought is implied rather than express; in some states, can be intentional or even not intentional but an extreme indifference to the value of human life.

Question 35

Implied malice aforethought

Answer 35

No considerable provocation appears, but a conscious disregard or depraved indifference is apparent.

Question 36

Express malice aforethought

Answer 36

Deliberate intention to unlawfully take away the life of a fellow human being.

Question 37

Manslaughter

Answer 37

The unlawful killing of one human being by another without malice aforethought.

Question 38

Voluntary manslaughter

Answer 38

The unlawful killing of one human being by another without malice aforethought.

Question 39

Voluntary manslaughter

Answer 39

The unlawful killing of another, without malice, when an intention to kill exists, but through violence that is the result of what is often termed "the heat of passion."

Question 40

Involuntary manslaughter

Answer 40

The unintentional killing of another while in the commission of an unlawful act that is not a felony or in the commission of a wanton or reckless act.

Question 41

Adequate provocation

Answer 41

A provocation that a reasonable person might naturally be induced to commit the act after losing self-control.