Criminal Defense

Purposely or knowingly causing the death of another person or fetus, usually known as first degree murder, is called “deliberate homicide” in Montana. You can also be charged with this type of homicide if you commit or attempt to commit one of these crimes and it results in someone’s death:   

• Robbery  
• Arson  
• Burglary  
• Aggravated kidnapping  
• Assault with a weapon  
• Aggravated assault  
• Sexual intercourse without consent  
• Felonious escape  
• Any other forcible felony or felonious flight  

A conviction can mean the death penalty or 10 years to life in prison, so the defense attorney you choose to represent you may be the most important decision you make.

A deliberate homicide can sometimes be downgraded to a mitigated deliberate homicide, commonly referred to as “manslaughter” in other states, if we can show that you experienced “extreme or emotional stress” at the time of the killing. This can reduce the penalty to as few as four years’ imprisonment.  Montana criminalizes nondeliberate homicide as follows:  

• Negligent homicide — Negligently causing the death of another person; punishable by up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $50,000 
• Vehicular homicide — Negligently causing the death of a person while operating a vehicle under the influence; punishable by up to 30 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $50,000 

Retaining an aggressive and effective Missoula criminal defense attorney can significantly improve your chance of a favorable outcome.

DWI often constitutes an independent charge or is tacked on to other alcohol or drug crimes. Usually, it is aggressively prosecuted. To confront this opposition, we develop a legal strategy customized to the strength of your case, such as challenging the initial stop, the reliability of breathing machines, or the accuracy of field sobriety testing. We also take on traffic violations that can result in driving privilege loss, fines, and jail time in some cases.

If you are facing murder, manslaughter, theft, DWI, traffic violation or other criminal charges, Shandor Badaruddin, PC in Missoula, Montana can help. Call 406-728-6868 or contact us online for a free consultation.