Current through Chapter 61 of the 2024 Legislative Session and 2024 Executive Orders 125, 133 through 135
Section 11.41.110 - [Effective 1/1/2025] Murder in the second degree(a) A person commits the crime of murder in the second degree if (1) with intent to cause serious physical injury to another person or knowing that the conduct is substantially certain to cause death or serious physical injury to another person, the person causes the death of any person;(2) the person knowingly engages in conduct that results in the death of another person under circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to the value of human life;(3)under circumstances not amounting to murder in the first degree under AS 11.41.100(a)(3), while acting either alone or with one or more persons, the person commits or attempts to commit arson in the first degree, kidnapping, sexual assault in the first degree, sexual assault in the second degree, sexual abuse of a minor in the first degree, sexual abuse of a minor in the second degree, burglary in the first degree, escape in the first or second degree, robbery in any degree, or misconduct involving a controlled substance under AS 11.71.010(a), 11.71.021(a), 11.71.030(a)(2) or (9), or 11.71.040(a)(1) or (2) and, in the course of or in furtherance of that crime or in immediate flight from that crime, any person causes the death of a person other than one of the participants;(4) acting with a criminal street gang, the person commits or attempts to commit a crime that is a felony and, in the course of or in furtherance of that crime or in immediate flight from that crime, any person causes the death of a person other than one of the participants; (5) the person with criminal negligence causes the death of a child under the age of 16, and the person has been previously convicted of a crime involving a child under the age of 16 that was (A) a felony violation of AS 11.41;(B) in violation of a law or ordinance in another jurisdiction with elements similar to a felony under AS 11.41; or(C) an attempt, a solicitation, or a conspiracy to commit a crime listed in (A) or (B) of this paragraph; or(6) the person knowingly manufactures or delivers a controlled substance in violation of AS 11.71.010 or 11.71.021, and another person dies as a direct result of ingestion of the controlled substance; the death is a result that does not require a culpable mental state.(b) Except as provided in (c) of this section, murder in the second degree is an unclassified felony and is punishable as provided in AS 12.55.(c) In a prosecution for murder in the second degree under (a)(6) of this section, it is an affirmative defense that reduces the crime to a class A felony that, at the time of the offense,(1) the defendant sought, in good faith, medical or law enforcement assistance for the other person;(2) the defendant remained at the scene with the other person until medical or law enforcement assistance arrived;(3) the defendant cooperated with medical or law enforcement personnel, including by providing identification; and(4) the offense involved small quantities of a controlled substance that were not delivered for a profit.Amended by SLA 2024, ch. 11,sec. 4, eff. 1/1/2025, app. to offenses committed on or after 1/1/2025.Amended by SLA 2024, ch. 11,sec. 3, eff. 1/1/2025, app. to offenses committed on or after 1/1/2025.Amended by SLA 2019SP1, ch. 4,sec. 2, eff. 7/1/2019.Amended by SLA 2016, ch. 36,sec. 4, eff. 7/1/2016.This section is set out more than once due to postponed, multiple, or conflicting amendments.