Sharon Fitzpatrick, the woman charged with stabbing her husband Sylvester Mitchell at their home in May 2007 has been acquitted of Massachusetts second-degree murder. This was the second time that her Boston murder case had gone to trial. The first one had ended in a mistrial after jurors were unable to break their deadlock.
Fitzpatrick was accused of attacking Mitchell during a dispute. Authorities claimed she was angry that he came home later than was expected. They were to celebrate his 40th birthday.
While prosecutors have argued that Fitzpatrick had no injuries from the stabbing to indicate that she needed to protect herself against Mitchell, the 39-year-old woman has always maintained that she acted in self-defense.
Massachusetts Second-Degree Murder
With Massachusetts second-degree murder, the crime needs to have been committed with malice aforethought (but not deliberate premeditation) or while a non-capital felony was taking place. The maximum sentence if convicted is life in prison with parole after 15 years. Choosing the right Boston murder defense law firm can make a huge difference on the outcome of your case.
Defending someone against a murder charge can be a very complicated process. There may be reasons why charges against you should be dropped or reduced or why you should be found not guilty-even if there is evidence to indicate otherwise. There may be evidence to prove that you did not commit the crime. There may be witnesses that can testify in support of your defense.
Woman acquitted in ’07 death of husband, Boston.com, November 4, 2010
Ex-dispatcher faces retrial in husband’s death, Boston Herald, October 24, 2010
Prosecutor: Victim “Didn’t See it Coming,” Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office
Related Web Resources:
Defenses to Criminal Charges, Nolo
Murder News Stories, Google
Murder, Boston Criminal Lawyer Blog
Contact our Boston homicide defense lawyers today.