South Carolina Murder Defense

A murder charge is the most serious criminal offense in South Carolina. A murder conviction carriest a penalty of thirty years to life imprisonment. It is considered a violent offense and those conviction are not entitled to probation or to be released on parole.

The Law Office of James R. Snell, Jr., LLC, located in Lexington, South Carolina, can represent clients charged with muder in any South Carolina county. Being charged with muder can be an emotional and confusing time: retaining a criminal defense attorney you have confidence in can be the first step in regaining control and order in your life.

Typical services to be provided would include:

Bond - Because of the seriousness of the murder charge the Bond Court is not able to set bond. In order to allow the defendant to be released while their case is pending we may file a request for bond with the Circuit Court and represent our client at their bond hearing.

Discovery - In all murder cases we file the appropriate motions with the Court for pre-trial discovery. These motions are also served on the prosecution. Discovery will include items such as the police reports, witness statements, crime scene reports, forensic reports, autopsy reports, and photographs. Once discovery materials are obtained we closely review them and discuss them with our client.

Defense Experts - The police and prosecution will have forensic and medical experts consulting, advising and testifying against the defendant. It is important that anyone facing a murder charge retain appropriate defense experts for their case.

Defense Investigation - A private investigator or a team or investigators can be employeed to interview and locate witnesses for the case. Not conducting a defense investigation means that your case would be entirely dependend upon the police and prosecution's. The State's investigation may stop once they have enough evidence to make an arrest; they are not

Murder and Self Defense

Murder is defined as the unlawful killing of a human being. The law recognizes that in certain circumstances it can be legal to use substantial or deadly force. In those cases the doctrine of self defense can be used to defend someone charged with murder.

Murder Versus Manslaughter

To be convicted of murder the State must prove that the crime was premeditated. Manslaughter applies when although there was an unlawful killing it was not premediated. Manslaughter is a felony, but carries a substantially lower, but still serious, penalty of two to thirty years imprisonment. Those charged with murder in South Carolina should become familiar with manslaughter because it may be discussed as party of any plea negotiations or be submitted to the jury as a lesser included offense in the trial.

Other Defenses that may be available:

South Carolina's Castle Doctrine
Alibi
Insanity
Defense of Others
Accidental Death
Death Caused by the Actions of Another

To dicsuss your South Carolina Murder Case with our office contact the Law Office of James R. Snell, Jr., LLC, at 1-866-252-5789. Initial appointments in our Lexington office are provided at no cost to those seeking legal counsel for murder, manslaughter or any other South Carolina crime.