manslaughter
the killing of someone
TRANSLATION
manslaughter = Totschlag (involuntary) manslaughter; manslaughter through culpable negligence = fahrlässige Tötung a case of manslaughter = ein Fall von Totschlag
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
In 1979, a city employee named Dan White went on a rampage and killed San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk in City Hall.
During the following murder trial, White's lawyer, Douglas Schmidt, presented a remarkable defense: His client's behaviour had been caused by an overdose - of Twinkies*!
Psychiatrist Martin Blinder testified that White had eaten so many Twinkies that their high sugar content had resulted in sufficiently "diminished mental capacity" to account for the killings.
The verdict? To the dismay of the prosecution, the jury agreed and convicted White of the lesser charge of voluntary MANSLAUGHTER and a 2-year prison sentence.
San Francisco erupted in riots following the news of the light sentence, especially in gay areas where police cars were overturned and burned. Harvey Milk was the firstly openly gay supervisor in San Francisco.
Note: In legal circles, this outrageous argument is still referred to as the "Twinkie Defense."
* A Twinkie is a "Golden Sponge Cake with Creamy Filling" created by Hostess, and baked by Continental Baking Co. Eat them with care!
During the following murder trial, White's lawyer, Douglas Schmidt, presented a remarkable defense: His client's behaviour had been caused by an overdose - of Twinkies*!
Psychiatrist Martin Blinder testified that White had eaten so many Twinkies that their high sugar content had resulted in sufficiently "diminished mental capacity" to account for the killings.
The verdict? To the dismay of the prosecution, the jury agreed and convicted White of the lesser charge of voluntary MANSLAUGHTER and a 2-year prison sentence.
San Francisco erupted in riots following the news of the light sentence, especially in gay areas where police cars were overturned and burned. Harvey Milk was the firstly openly gay supervisor in San Francisco.
Note: In legal circles, this outrageous argument is still referred to as the "Twinkie Defense."
* A Twinkie is a "Golden Sponge Cake with Creamy Filling" created by Hostess, and baked by Continental Baking Co. Eat them with care!
Did you
know?
man-slaugh-ter
noun
The unlawful killing of one human by another without express or implied intent to do injury.
Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Synonyms:
assassination, bang job, big chill, bump-off, butchery, carnage, death, dispatching, erase, hit, killing, kiss-off, liquidation, lynching, manslaughter, murder, offing, one-way ticket, rubout, slaying, taking out, wasting
IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS TODAY
say something like:
“The definitions of manslaughter and appropriate punishments vary widely from one country to another”
noun
The unlawful killing of one human by another without express or implied intent to do injury.
Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Synonyms:
assassination, bang job, big chill, bump-off, butchery, carnage, death, dispatching, erase, hit, killing, kiss-off, liquidation, lynching, manslaughter, murder, offing, one-way ticket, rubout, slaying, taking out, wasting
IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS TODAY
say something like:
“The definitions of manslaughter and appropriate punishments vary widely from one country to another”
