Murder in Arizona law constitutes the intentional killing, under circumstances defined by law, of people within or under the jurisdiction of the U.S. state ofArizona.
InArizona, a person is charged with murder when the offender knowingly and intentionally causes the death of a person or unborn child. The murder must be premeditated. In the state of Arizona, if one is found guilty of first-degree murder, there is the possibility of receiving thedeath penalty.[1]
The United StatesCenters for Disease Control and Prevention reported that in the year 2020, the state had a murder rate near the median for the entire country.[2]
Arizona abolished allcommon law criminal concepts and replaced them with criminalstatutes.[3] Thefelony murder rule survives in Arizona by current statutory law. The felony murder rule holds that a killing of a person occurring in the course of, or in the immediate flight from, the commission of the following crimes is consideredmurder in thefirst degree:[4]
A person convicted of murder in the first degree faces possible sentences oflife imprisonment or, whenaggravating factors exist, thedeath penalty.
Source:[5]
| Offense | Mandatory sentencing |
|---|---|
| Negligent homicide | 1–3.75 years (first violent felony offense) |
| Manslaughter | 7–21 years (first violent felony offense) |
| Second degree murder | 10–25 years (first violent felony offense) |
| Felony first degree murder | Death (aggravating circumstances), natural life imprisonment, or life (minimum of 25 years; 35 years if the victim was under the age of 15) |
| Premeditated first degree murder | Death (aggravating circumstances), natural life imprisonment, or life (minimum of 25 years; 35 years if the victim was under the age of 15; only an option if the defendant was a juvenile) |
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