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Simple English definitions for legal terms
sudden heat
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A quick definition of sudden heat:
Sudden heat refers to a strong feeling of anger, fear, or hatred that is suddenly triggered by something someone else says or does. This intense emotion can sometimes lead to violent actions, and in the past, it was considered a mitigating factor in murder cases. This means that if someone committed murder in a state of sudden heat, they may be charged with a lesser crime like manslaughter. However, it's important to note that this doesn't excuse violent behavior and people are still responsible for their actions.
A more thorough explanation:
Sudden heat, also known as heat of passion, refers to a strong emotional reaction such as rage, terror, or furious hatred that is suddenly provoked by someone's words or actions.
Under common law, sudden heat of passion could be considered a mitigating circumstance that would reduce a murder charge to manslaughter.
For example, if someone walks in on their spouse cheating and in a fit of rage, kills the cheating partner, they may be able to argue that they acted in sudden heat of passion.
However, the passion must be extreme enough to temporarily override reason and control the person's actions.
Overall, sudden heat is a legal term used to describe a specific type of emotional response that can have implications in criminal cases.