Does a Crime of Passion Reduce Criminal Charges?
Feb 09, 2026 -
In different parts of the U.S., crimes of passion have different meanings and applications. For example, California's jury instructions spell out exactly when "heat of passion" can lower murder to manslaughter. They say that a "person of average disposition" must have been provoked and must have acted right away without waiting to cool down, as explained in Justia.
Crimes committed out of strong emotion instead of a planned motive are handled differently by the law. They ask questions that entail human reaction, like “why would you claim a crime of passion?”
Defendants often bring up this point to say that the act happened because of an immediate trigger and before they could make a rational decision. This claim does not absolve someone of responsibility, but it could change how serious the charges are or how intent is judged at trial.
Read on to find out if a crime of passion can lower criminal charges and how the criminal justice ...
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