Can it be tried for murder?

[Giest4life]

Here's the situation.

A complete douchebag decides to prank call a suicide hotline and eats up precious 5 minutes of the operator's time. During the prank call, a guy on the precipice of suicide does not reach that (or any) operator and commits suicide.

Hypothetically, can there be a link made between the recklessness of our douchebag and the resulting suicide? Can that guy be tried for a serious charge like murder?

Personally, I don't he should be tried for murder. But at the very least, that guy should get get about ten years in prison for intentionally messing with something that serious.

 

[SquidVicious]

How is it murder if the guy commits suicide?

 

[bdcjacko]

That isn't murder, that is just being a douche.

 

[Mandalore_15]

Here's the situation.

A complete douchebag decides to prank call a suicide hotline and eats up precious 5 minutes of the operator's time. During the prank call, a guy on the precipice of suicide does not reach that (or any) operator and commits suicide.

Hypothetically, can there be a link made between the recklessness of our douchebag and the resulting suicide? Can that guy be tried for a serious charge like murder?

Personally, I don't he should be tried for murder. But at the very least, that guy should get get about ten years in prison for intentionally messing with something that serious.

Murder requires specific intent. There's an argument it could be manslaughter, but only through negligence, and even then only VERY tenuously...

 

[zehydra]

absolutely not. If someone does not commit the actual act of killing, then he/she should not be considered a murderer. He/She is however guilty of a different crime, that is purposely (and potentially maliciously) interfering with a potentially life-saving service.

 

[Matt Oliver]

involuntery manslaughter maybe. definately more plausible then murder

 

[Episode42]

Well, it's not murder, as the douche hasn't planned to kill anyone. The best it could be is manslaughter. But even then, i don't think that would apply. After all, if the guy managed to get through, but the operator couldn't stop them from committing suicide, does that mean the operator is guilty. I realise there's a certain amount of blame, but it's just got too many variables.

 

[EasySt17]

not murder...murder is premeditated...manslaughter...maybe

 

[Rednog]

Wait how do you justify 10 years in jail for being a douche?
Sorry but there is no crime in the law books that says being a complete dick is a crime.
Also suicide hotlines have more than 1 person working the phones, I seriously doubt that would ever happen and even then how could you ever prove that the person wouldn't have committed suicide regardless of talking to an operator or not?

 

[twistedmic]

Here's the situation.

A complete douchebag decides to prank call a suicide hotline and eats up precious 5 minutes of the operator's time. During the prank call, a guy on the precipice of suicide does not reach that (or any) operator and commits suicide.

Hypothetically, can there be a link made between the recklessness of our douchebag and the resulting suicide? Can that guy be tried for a serious charge like murder?

Personally, I don't he should be tried for murder. But at the very least, that guy should get get about ten years in prison for intentionally messing with something that serious.

I think a reckless endangerment case might be possible, but anything more serious is highly doubtful. After all, to be effective the Suicide Prevention Hot-Line would have to have more than one phone-line. And with multiple phone-lines operating, it would probably be next to impossible to determine whether or not the prankster took up the phone-line that the suicide guy tried to get though on.

 

[retyopy]

Hmmm...

No. For the very simple reason that he didn't mean to. There was no intent. But he should be punched several times in the face, then kicked very hard in his tender bits. And then punched again for good measure.

And then shot NO!

 

[Jodah]

Reckless endangerment maybe. Its still a very long shot both to prove and get a DA to prosecute it. Basically its possible in theory but the likelihood of it happening is slim to none.

But murder or manslaughter? Not so much.

 

[bruggs]

What if it can be proven he did this with the intent of causing suicides?

 

[Lionsfan]

That's pretty iffy, you could probably get a Manslaughter at best; and that's assuming everyone on the Jury was having a really shitty day and went hard on the guy. It's a douche move, but not against the law

 

[Jodah]

What if it can be proven he did this with the intent of causing suicides?

That could, in theory, bump it to murder in the second degree. One of the forms of malice required for murder is "Reckless indifference to an unjustifiably high risk to human life."

One of the biggest problems for both situations is proving that the hotline would have saved the individual. Suicide hotlines do not work 100%, which leaves a readily available defense of "he was going to kill himself either way." That could potentially lead to an acquittal or hung jury.

 

[maddawg IAJI]

No, he can't be tried for murder and I don't know what suicide hotline is so understaffed that they only have one operator.