- Published: September 25, 2022
- Updated: September 25, 2022
- Level: Secondary School
- Language: English
- Downloads: 36
The action of Bob resulted to the loss of life of a disabled person. Under United s law, Bob committed a serious crime, which is considered as felony. Bob could be charged of committing murder or manslaughter. According to the United States law, murder is regarded as the intentional act of killing another person (Siegel, 2008). This implies that the defendant had premeditated and had time to consider his actions with the intention of taking another persons life (Siegel, 2008). From this statement, it is not clear whether Bob was mentally sound, but in law, he did not have the legal authority or reason to act in the way he did. Bob action can be considered to be well thought before committing the crime because he carried a pistol with him to the hospital to see his father. A loaded pistol by any definition is a lethal weapon and the action of carrying it to the hospital, a place that does not present any reasonable threat to his life or that of his father is an indication of his intention to kill. In this case, his action amounts to murder and he is guilty of first-degree murder if it is not proved that, his terminally ill father requested Bob to shoot and kill him. However, if his father requested Bob to shoot him in the head and kill him, Bob’s action amounts to the crime of assisting self-murder and hence he would answer to the charges of manslaughter. According to Jordan, Van Dyke and Malone (2008,) helping someone to commit suicide is a criminal offense in the United States. In this case, if it is established that Bob assisted his father to commit suicide by obeying his request to shoot him, he is guilty of second-degree murder. The laws governing assisted self-suicide vary in different states across the US, and Oregon is the only jurisdiction in the world that allows doctors to assist terminally ill patients to commit self-suicide (Siegel, 2008). References Jordan, P., Van Dyke, M. & Malone, L.(2009). International law and litigation in the U. S.: American casebook series. (3rd Ed). New York: West Publishers. Siegel, L. Criminology. (2008). Bedford, New Hampshire: Cengage Learning.