Are you facing vehicular manslaughter charges in Ventura County, Santa Barbara County, or the surrounding area? You need to understand the severity of the penalties so you can get started on your defense.
Vehicular manslaughter is divided into several types in California Penal C§ 192(c)ode. In general, vehicular manslaughter is committed when someone is killed due to reckless driving while committing an unlawful act that is not a felony. This could be with or without gross negligence.
Causing an accident and death of a victim for the purpose of unlawful personal gain is also vehicular manslaughter and may be tried as murder. Lastly, there is vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated (Cal. Pen. Code § 191.5), the former of which does not involve gross negligence and the latter of which does. The penalties for each are as follows:
Vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence:
- Misdemeanor – A jail sentence of up to one year
- Felony – A prison sentence of two, four, or six years
Vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence:
- Misdemeanor – A jail sentence of up to one year
Vehicular manslaughter with the intent of personal gain:
- Felony – A prison sentence of 4, 6, or 10 years
Vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated:
- Misdemeanor – A jail sentence of up to one year
- Felony – A prison sentence of 16 months or 2 – 4 years
Gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated:
- Felony – A prison sentence of 4, 6, or 10 years
I’ve Been Arrested for Vehicular Manslaughter. What Should I Do?
If you are facing charges of vehicular manslaughter, retaining the services of a criminal defense attorney is your best chance of obtaining a dismissal of your charges. It may be that you were not driving recklessly or that the victim’s death was due to their own reckless or negligent behavior. Through careful investigation of your case, a Ventura County criminal defense lawyer from Ridley Defense could present a strong defense proving that you were not driving recklessly and / or that no negligence was involved.
Contact our offices today by calling (805) 590-2637 to schedule an appointment for a complimentary consultation!
