Oklahoma Blog: Criminal Law Situations

A person is charged with vehicular manslaughter when another person is killed due to reckless and unsafe driving. The person killed may be a passenger in the same vehicle as the driver, or a driver or passenger in another car. In either situation one major element of a vehicular manslaughter charge is that the person is illegally operating the vehicle by either speeding or driving while intoxicated. Also, a party charged with vehicular manslaughter may have to litigate for both criminal and wrongful-death civil charges and should hire a OK criminal defense lawyer that is expereinced in both areas of law.

 

Vehicular Manslaughter Charges in OK

Like many crimes, the possible penalties for vehicular manslaughter range from a fine to jail time. The severity of these charges depends on the circumstances surrounding the case at hand. One of the critical aspects that may influence sentencing is prior record including any pervious charges. Also, conditions at the time of the accident may illustrate that poor road conditions or weather were an integral cause of the accident. In these situations expert testimony may be an important aspect of the case, and a trained professional will know best how to properly present these factors to a court.

The most common form of vehicular manslaughter occurs when a person is driving while intoxicated. In Oklahoma, the average fine is between five hundred dollars and a thousand dollars. Furthermore, if sentenced to jail time, the average sentencing time is two to three years with a year of probation. The determination of whether jail time will be allocated depends on the severity of each case.

Due to the wide variety of sentencing, it is in the best interest of the accused to have a criminal defense attorney manage the case. For example, if a person has no prior record, an attorney will often be able to successfully negotiate a plea bargain with the district attorney. On the other hand, not seeking the help of an experienced lawyer could lead to haphazardly stating the facts, which could cause additional problems with defense.

If you, or someone you know, has been charged with vehicular manslaughter call the Oklahoma City criminal defense lawyers at Atkins and Markoff to ensure that the best possible defenses are used in the case.

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