Before you start work with your partner, answer the following question in your journal: What is the strongest piece of evidence for your side? What makes it the strongest? Today you’ll need Romeo and Juliet, a loose sheet of paper (prosecution), writing utensil, and your journal.

Indictment Half way through the class period, the prosecution will formally “indict” the character. What this means: the prosecution formally charges the defendant with the crime(s). How many counts of what type of “murder charge” and for what deaths. – IE- In the name and by authority of Verona, we hereby charge Tybalt with ______ for the death of Mercutio, and 2 counts of ______ in the deaths of Romeo and Lady Montague. Write it out on a separate sheet of paper, and then sign it (so your names are on it). If the class wants to, you can also verbally “indict” the characters, standing up and publically announcing what charges you are bringing against the defendant.

Possible Charges and what they mean First-degree murder is any intentional murder that is willful and premeditated with malice aforethought. Felony murder is typically first-degree. [6]Felony murder [6] Second-degree murder is an intentional murder with malice, but is not premeditated or planned in advance. [7] A street fight that results in death would ordinarily constitute second-degree murder [7] Voluntary manslaughter (also referred to as third-degree murder), sometimes called a crime of passion murder, is any intentional killing that involved no prior intent to kill, and which was committed under such circumstances that would "cause a reasonable person to become emotionally or mentally disturbed”. If that street fight (mentioned above) stemmed from a discovery of infidelity, however, it may be mitigated to voluntary manslaughter. [8] crime of passion [8] Involuntary manslaughter stems from a lack of intention to cause death but involving an intentional, or negligent, act leading to death. ( A drunk driving-related death is typically involuntary.) Note that the "unintentional" element here refers to the lack of intent to bring about the death. All three crimes above feature an intent to kill, whereas involuntary manslaughter is "unintentional", because the killer did not intend for a death to result from their intentional actions. If there is a presence of intention it relates only to the intent to cause a violent act which brings about the death, but not an intention to bring about the death itself.