• chiliedogg@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    While it’s not all the way there, the “depraved heart” rule does exist.

    It allows the court to consider extreme indifference to the safety of others as being so depraved that it can be considered intent to kill - elevating wrongful death to 2nd degree homicide.

    An example would be a drug or auto manufacturer executive choosing not to issue a safety recall for financial reasons. The idea is there’s clear knowledge that great harm is likely from their inaction, and they’re actively choosing to inflict that harm.