Getting a Conviction for Attempted Murder Charges
Boston Area Violent Crimes, Attempted Murder Defense Lawyers
If you are convicted of attempted murder in Massachusetts, you will be sentenced to up to ten years in prison.
Attempted murder is one of those charges that TV crime writers love, because it leaves so much room for ambiguity and interpretation—which is exactly the case in real life. To prove a charge of attempted murder, a district attorney has to prove three separate things:
- First, that the suspect willfully and maliciously intended to commit murder;
- Second, that he made an “overt” attempt to accomplish the crime and came reasonably close to succeeding; and
- Third, that the attempt failed.
The first, and especially the third, of these clauses are fairly obvious; what can make a charge of attempted murder difficult to prove is the second. The issue here is what constitutes an “overt act” in pursuit of the goal of taking a life. As a general rule, it is not enough to merely plan the murder (for example, by jotting down your thoughts in a notebook) or to solicit someone else’s cooperation; the suspect has to take a real, physical step toward accomplishing the deed, say, by shooting at someone, or attempting to poison an intended victim.
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Facing Attempted Murder Charges? Get a Free Legal Consultation
If you have been charged with attempted murder, you need to have a lawyer at your side who’s conversant with the ins and outs of criminal law, and who can help to prove to a judge, jury or district attorney that you did not attempt to commit a homicide. If we cannot have the charges dismissed entirely or rejected by a jury, the attorneys at The Law Offices of Gerald J. Noonan may be able to plead you down to a lesser charge, which carries less severe penalties than the 10-year maximum prison term the state of Massachusetts imposes for attempted murder convictions.
Our knowledgeable and experienced Brockton criminal defense law attorneys at The Law Offices of Gerald J. Noonan are available to assist clients throughout all of Southeast Massachusetts, including but not limited to Plymouth County including Brockton, Abington, Bridgewater, Whitman, Hanson, Hingham, Wareham, Halifax, Middleborough, Rockland, Lakeville, Holbrook, Avon, Kingston, Pembroke, Plympton, Pembroke, Hanover, Carver, Duxbury, Marshfield, Norwell, Hanover, Scituate, East/West Bridgewater, Rochester, Marion, Mattapoisett; Norfolk County including Quincy, Stoughton, Dedham, Weymouth, Braintree, Avon, Holbrook, Randolph, Canton, Sharon, Wrentham, Foxborough, Franklin, Walpole; Bristol County including New Bedford, Fall River, Taunton, Attleboro, Mansfield, Easton, Raynham, Norton; Cape Cod, Falmouth, Barnstable.
No matter where you are located, we are just a phone call away. Call the Massachusetts Criminal Defense Attorney at The Law Offices of Gerald J. Noonan to schedule a free no-obligation case review and consultation at (508) 588-0422 and you will have taken your first step to find out how best to confront this important matter. You can also click here to use our Free Case Evaluation Form.
