Pennsylvania § 2503 Voluntary manslaughter

Pennsylvania Statutes

§ 2503 — Voluntary manslaughter

Pennsylvania § 2503

Title 18CRIMES AND OFFENSES

PartPART II

Ch. 25CRIMINAL HOMICIDE

This text of Pennsylvania § 2503 (Voluntary manslaughter) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 2503 (2026).

Text

(a)General rule.--A person who kills an individual without lawful justification commits voluntary manslaughter if at the time of the killing he is acting under a sudden and intense passion resulting from serious provocation by:

(1)the individual killed; or

(2)another whom the actor endeavors to kill, but he negligently or accidentally causes the death of the individual killed.

(b)Unreasonable belief killing justifiable.--A person who intentionally or knowingly kills an individual commits voluntary manslaughter if at the time of the killing he believes the circumstances to be such that, if they existed, would justify the killing under Chapter 5 of this title (relating to general principles of justification), but his belief is unreasonable.

(c)Grading.--Voluntary manslaughter is a f

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(a) General rule.--A person who kills an individual without lawful justification commits voluntary manslaughter if at the time of the killing he is acting under a sudden and intense passion resulting from serious provocation by:

(1) the individual killed; or

(2) another whom the actor endeavors to kill, but he negligently or accidentally causes the death of the individual killed.

(b) Unreasonable belief killing justifiable.--A person who intentionally or knowingly kills an individual commits voluntary manslaughter if at the time of the killing he believes the circumstances to be such that, if they existed, would justify the killing under Chapter 5 of this title (relating to general principles of justification), but his belief is unreasonable.

(c) Grading.--Voluntary manslaughter is a felony of the first degree.

Legislative History

(Nov. 17, 1995, 1st Sp.Sess., P.L.1144, No.36, eff. 60 days) 1995 Amendment.Act 36, 1st Sp.Sess., amended subsec. (c). Cross References.Section 2503 is referred to in sections 5702, 5708, 6105 of this title; sections 1515, 9711, 9802 of Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure); sections 6139, 7122 of Title 61 (Prisons and Parole).