Baltimore Homicide Defense Attorneys

Former Prosecutors. AV-Preeminent Rated. Over 22,000 Clients Represented.

A homicide charge is the most serious criminal offense in Maryland, carrying sentences that range from years in prison to life without parole. The attorney you hire matters more here than in any other case. At T. Wray McCurdy, P.A., our defense team includes a former Baltimore County Assistant State’s Attorney who personally prosecuted homicide cases, giving us direct insight into how the state investigates, charges, and tries these cases in Baltimore County courts. That perspective shapes every defense strategy we build.

Our founding attorney, T. Wray McCurdy, holds the AV-Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest peer-reviewed rating in the legal industry, and has been selected as an Outstanding Lawyer by Super Lawyers. The Fraternal Order of Police recommends him when asked for a Baltimore County criminal defense referral. With more than 22,000 individuals represented over decades of practice and generations of clients who found us through recommendations from friends and family, our record reflects that experience.

Under investigation for murder or manslaughter? Already charged? Call us at (410) 834-8466 for a free case evaluation.

Maryland Homicide Charges: What You’re Facing

Maryland law distinguishes between murder and manslaughter based on intent, premeditation, and the circumstances of the killing. The charge you face determines both the penalties and the defenses available to you.

Murder Charges & Their Penalties

First-degree murder is the most serious homicide charge under Maryland law. It is defined as a deliberate, premeditated, and willful killing, or a killing committed in one of several specific ways.

It can occur by:

• Lying in wait for the victim
• Poisoning the victim
• Killing the victim during the commission of a qualifying felony such as arson, burglary, robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, rape, or escape

The penalty for first-degree murder is life in prison with or without the possibility of parole. Maryland abolished the death penalty. Felony murder, in which a death occurs during the commission of a qualifying felony, is treated as first-degree murder even when the killing was unintended.

Second-degree murder covers any killing that doesn’t meet the first-degree definition. It is distinguished from manslaughter by the presence of intent to kill or cause serious bodily harm, without premeditation, and is punishable by up to 40 years in prison.

Manslaughter Charges & Their Penalties

Manslaughter generally means a killing without prior intent or premeditation. It can be voluntary, occurring under reasonable passion or provocation, or involuntary, resulting from negligence or recklessness. Depending on the facts, manslaughter may be punished by up to 10 years in prison, or up to two years in a local correctional facility with fines up to $500.

Vehicular manslaughter is a specific category of involuntary manslaughter involving the grossly negligent operation of a vehicle that causes another person’s death. Under Maryland law, it can occur in four ways, two of which involve driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs. Penalties include up to 10 years in prison and fines up to $5,000. Repeat offenders face up to 15 years in prison, fines up to $10,000, license suspensions, and other court-ordered penalties.

How Our Baltimore Homicide Attorneys Build Your Defense

Homicide defense isn’t a passive process. When and how a defense attorney gets involved can affect how a case unfolds, which is why we encourage anyone under investigation, not just those already charged, to call us. When we take a case, we get to work immediately.

Because T. Wray McCurdy prosecuted cases from the state’s side before founding this firm, our attorneys understand the vertical prosecution model used in Baltimore: one prosecutor assigned at the outset who stays on the case through trial. We know how that prosecutor may build the state’s case, what evidence they may prioritize, and where weaknesses often emerge. T. Wray McCurdy pioneered the first federal sentencing guidelines case in the District of Maryland, and we bring that same commitment to strategic, precedent-aware defense to every homicide case we handle.

Our defense approach can include:

• Independent investigation to gather evidence the prosecution won’t seek out
• Suppression motions challenging statements taken without proper Miranda warnings or evidence obtained without a valid warrant
• Forensic evidence challenges targeting the reliability and chain of custody of physical evidence
• Defense strategies including lack of criminal intent, self-defense or defense of others, provocation or passion to reduce a murder charge to manslaughter, alibi, and mistaken identity
• Plea negotiations when the facts and law support a more favorable resolution through negotiation

The prosecution must prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt, the highest standard in the legal system. Our job is to find and present the facts that can create that doubt.

Contact a Baltimore Homicide Attorney for a Free Case Evaluation

When your freedom and future are on the line, the quality of your legal representation can make a decisive difference. Our firm brings decades of courtroom experience, a former-prosecutor perspective, and a record built on more than 22,000 clients to every case we take. We pursue the best possible outcome for each client, and we’re ready to put that commitment to work for you.

Facing murder or manslaughter charges in Baltimore? Contact us at (410) 834-8466 to schedule your free case evaluation today.