Intro to Paralegal Studies Practice

A hired assassin would most likely be charged with which type of murder?

1. Second degree murder

2. Involuntary manslaughter

3. First degree murder

4. Voluntary manslaughter

The correct answer is: First degree murder

An assassin typically engages in premeditated acts with intent to kill. First-degree murder is characterized by this deliberate planning and intention behind the act. The crime often involves substantial forethought, where the perpetrator consciously devises a plan to take another person’s life. In this scenario, the assassin's actions are premeditated, as they are carried out for hire, showcasing a clear intent to commit murder, which fulfills the legal definition of first-degree murder. The ability to plan and execute the murder, along with the motive (often financial gain), further solidifies this classification. In contrast, the other options represent different levels or types of unlawful killing. Second-degree murder lacks the element of premeditation but still involves intent to kill. Involuntary manslaughter typically involves unintentional killing that results from reckless behavior, and voluntary manslaughter generally occurs when a person kills in the heat of passion after being provoked. Thus, while those options apply to various contexts of homicide, they do not align with the calculated nature of an assassin's actions, which are aligned with first-degree murder.