MANSLAUGHTER

Manslaughter is a serious offense in the State of Texas, and is a second-degree felony. A person commits manslaughter when the person recklessly causes the death of another person. The law does not require that the person intentionally cause the death of the other person. It is only required that in the circumstances surrounding the person’s conduct or the result of the conduct when the person is aware of, but consciously disregards a substantial and unjustifiable risk that the circumstances exist, or the result will occur. The risk in these types of criminal charges must be of such a nature and degree that its disregard constitutes a gross deviation from the standards of care that an ordinary person would exercise under all the circumstances as viewed from the person committing the offense’s standpoint.