New York Vehicular Manslaughter Defense Lawyers

Second Degree Vehicular Manslaughter

There are multiple levels of vehicular manslaughter charges, which vary greatly in severity. Second-degree vehicular manslaughter is the least serious form of vehicular manslaughter. To secure a conviction for this crime, a prosecutor must prove that an intoxicated driver of a car, motorcycle, truck, or boat killed another person as a result of the intoxication. The driver must be intoxicated to the extent that he or she could be charged with a DWI. Critically, it is not sufficient that the prosecutor simply proves that the defendant was drunk and someone died. There must be a link between the actions of the defendant and the death.

First Degree Vehicular Manslaughter

A charge of second degree manslaughter will be elevated to one of first degree manslaughter when the driver has a blood alcohol content of over .18 percent, was driving on a suspended license due to a DUI, has a prior DUI within the past ten years, caused the death of more than one person, or caused the death of someone under the age of 15.

Penalties For Vehicular Manslaughter

A second-degree manslaughter charge could result in a penalty of up to seven years in prison, along with a fine of up to $5,000. First-degree manslaughter charges could result in up to 15 years in prison and similar fines. In addition to prison time and fees, a felony conviction will remain on your permanent criminal record, potentially harming your ability to gain employment.

Strategic Defense for Vehicular Homicide Charges in NY

Our experience has shown, and results have proven, that no vehicular manslaughter case is infallible. Depending on the circumstances, defense strategies may include:

• Excluding incriminating evidence because either your constitutional rights were violated or law enforcement officials did not follow proper procedures when collecting evidence;
• Questioning the accuracy of blood alcohol level or drug tests;
• Proving that your driving was not a cause of the fatality; and/or
• Most importantly action must be taken quickly to investigate the scene of the accident and the cars involved.

In one of Mr. Epstein’s cases our prompt investigation revealed the accident was not caused by our client at all and all charges were dismissed.

Leaders in Vehicular Homicide Defense Litigation

If you’re facing vehicular homicide charges anywhere in New York, you can be confident about placing your trust in Barket Epstein Kearon Aldea & LoTurco, LLP.

That’s because Founding Partner Steven Epstein is recognized as one of the nation’s foremost attorneys for DWI and vehicular homicide defense. His track record in this field includes:

• Trusted instructor. To date, Mr. Epstein has trained over 3,000 attorneys in DWI and vehicular crimes defense and is the principal instructor in DWI defense for most of the NYC area public defender offices. He has also served as an adjunct professor at Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University since 1988 and is head of the Steven Epstein DWI Defense Institute, an educational program that teaches lawyers how to defend DWI and Vehicular Homicide cases.
• Featured speaker. Mr. Epstein is routinely invited to lecture on topics related to DWI and vehicular manslaughter at legal seminars across New York and the nation. His insight has helped thousands of defense lawyers better represent clients facing these serious criminal charges.
• Published author. As a respected defense attorney, Mr. Epstein has published numerous articles about trial techniques, strategies for challenging scientific evidence, and other issues important to DWI defense.

Under Mr. Epstein’s leadership, our DWI and Vehicular Crimes team has been trusted by clients and colleagues across the country to handle the toughest cases. If you’ve been charged with vehicular manslaughter anywhere in NYC or the tri-state area, we have what it takes to help.

Contact our New York vehicular manslaughter lawyers today for the level of counsel you need. We have offices in Huntington, Manhattan, and Garden City—call (888) 779-0267 today.