Homicide (Unlawful Act Manslaughter)

This is one of a series of lessons on homicide. Earlier lessons provide an overview of the crime of homicide, and individual lessons focus on such topics as murder, manslaughter and other crimes. This lesson focuses on the so-called unlawful act manslaughter doctrine. The lesson is intended for students who have studied this doctrine in class and who wish to refine their knowledge of the topic.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of the lesson, students will be able to:

1. Define the crime of manslaughter under common law.
2. Define the crime of manslaughter under modern criminal statutes.
3. Define the felony murder doctrine under common law.
4. Define the unlawful act manslaughter doctrine under common law.
5. Discuss some of the concerns about the unlawful act manslaughter doctrine.
6. Analyze how some states limit application of the unlawful act manslaughter doctrine.