question for a lawyer

Tell me if this is classified as a murder or an accident:

Two people (Person A and Person B) are sitting on a cliff face. All of a sudden the cliff face gives way (totally natural - not set up), and Person A begins slipping down. Person B stands back and is okay, but Person A who is falling down begins slipping down further and reaches out his hand for Person B to pull him up. But Person B refuses to give out his hand to reach for Person A's hand, and thus leaves Person A helpless. Person B then just watches Person A gradually lose footing, and who then falls down to the valley below. What I want to know is, is that Person B responible for the death of Person A? Is he accountable for the death because he was able to prevent it, although he did not initiate it? Or would it be just classified as an accident?

(And just say the whole thing was caught on tape, so the person could not lie)

Depends on if the state has good sumaritan(sp?) laws. In some states you're required to help someone where you're capable, and can be charged with a crime if you refuse to help. I'm not 100% what would be charged for an incident like that, but it wouldn't be murder 1, for sure.

I'm no lawyer, but I would think it wouldn't be classified as murder....

Bad karma perhaps....But no one is really ever obligated to saving someone else’s life....It's just sort of an expected reaction....

Perhaps Person B was dazed and "out of it"....I'm sure that made an excess of adrenaline rush to his/her head....Maybe they just weren't thinking straight....Which is precisely why no one "in the heat of the moment" can ever really be blamed for not taking action....

OK, I have another example.
In the movie Dolores Claiborne starring Kathy Bates, there is a scene in it where her husband dies. She really hated her husband since he was abusive. In their front yard there is large underground hole or well, which she manages to cover up to make it appear as if there is no hole. Then she asks her husband to come and walk with her, and then she makes him walk in line with the covered hole so he eventually steps on it and falls in. She does not use any force - he walks upon it himself. And she does nothing to help him back up, and just leaves him there suffering with a broken leg and leaving him to die. Now would this be classified as murder?

Now would this be classified as murder?

Yes it sure would, She covered the hole, she prompted him to walk over it.
She set it all up knowing the out come,

Her intentions where for him to meet harm.

So yes it would be a set up murder,

its almost the same as paying someone to murder someone, You yourself have no hands in it, But still you would be done for setting up the murder.

Originally posted by asala

its almost the same as paying someone to murder someone, You yourself have no hands in it, But still you would be done for setting up the murder.

You know,.... just like O.J.

Wait a moment.......are you planing on doing something illegal here?

I only going to advised this to you, everything has to do with how well you get away with it, so far OJ got away with it, the other gay the actor did too.

But Peterson did not, so see the pattern.......if you are a public figure or an actor versus just a regular Joe, you will get caught.

Get it!!!!!!!!!don't do it.:shk:

There is a good sumeritan law in America. Come on you wouldnt help out a fellow croat? Whats a matter with you

Hehe, of course i would help a fellow Croat.
No Im not planning anything!! I just wanted to hear other people's views. Ive never heard of sumeritan laws. I just thought it was a loophole in the system.

I think enron has got a point, If the person was sitting there like they were in shock i doubt they would be convicted of anything , of course if the person is dancing by the side of the cliff, Yelling at the person and laughing i'm sure they would find something to charge them with