State First Degree Murder Laws

State laws often separate the crime murder into degrees of severity, with first degree murder or capital murder being the most serious crimes of homicide. However, there are many key differences among the states in their murder laws, as well as in the penalties that may be imposed. Please choose a state from the map or the list below for state-specific definitions and statutes for, including in depth overviews of select states' offenses, penalties, and more.