What Are The Two Stages Of Capital Murder?

Capital murder is any murder that makes the perpetrator eligible for the death penalty. Capital murder has two stages. The stages are first degree murder. while the other one is called second degree murder. Capital murder is very serious and brings serious consequences. Murder in general is everywhere in the United States. There are many convictions of capital murder. “Capital murder is a murder that subjects the perpetrator to the death penalty if found guilty. For this to apply, there has to have been some horrific extenuating circumstance, often called ‘special circumstance,’ in addition to causing the death.” (legaldictionary.2017) . This means that the court has to know excatly what happened and how it happened. They can then try the person for the crime. The criminal case is then sentenced to what the jury finds him/her as and the judge gives out the punishment.

First degree murder is defined as an unlawful killing that is both willful and premeditated. That means that it was planned or the suspect was waiting for the victim. In Mississippi, capital murder is neither first or second degree. It is just capital murder. It brings the punishment of death or life in prison (with or without parole). In states such as Florida, first degree murder is considered a stage of capital murder. It brings the punishment of death or life in prison with or without parole. One example includes a Jacksonville, Florida case where a 47 year old man was found guilty of first degree murder in 2012. He shot inside a sports utility car ten times and killed a 17 year old boy. The shooting was over loud music. He now faces a mandatory life in prison sentence. He was not