What constitutes voluntary manslaughter?

Voluntary manslaughter is characterized by an intentional killing that occurs in the heat of passion as a result of adequate provocation. This legal concept reflects a scenario where the individual, while still committing a homicide, is acting under circumstances that significantly impair their ability to control their behavior.

The idea of "heat of passion" implies that the individual was provoked in such a way that it would cause a reasonable person to lose self-control, leading them to commit the act of killing. This could be triggered by events such as discovering a spouse in an act of infidelity or other shocking scenarios that incite anger or despair. The requirement of "adequate provocation" is key here; the provocation must be sufficient to incite a reasonable person to react with extreme emotional response rather than deliberation or premeditation.

In contrast, intentional killing with premeditation would typically be classified as murder, which encompasses a calculated intent to kill rather than a reaction to immediate provocation. A killing occurring after a considerable delay indicates deliberation and thus would not qualify as voluntary manslaughter. Lastly, a killing that takes place during a robbery would usually be categorized as felony murder, which applies specific rules around deaths occurring in the commission of certain felonies