# You Return Home and Find Wife In Bed With Another Man-You Murder Them **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 14, 2010, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-return-home-and-find-wife-in-bed-with-another-man-you-murder-them/550238 "2010-08-14T12:32:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-return-home-and-find-wife-in-bed-with-another-man-you-murder-them/550238/21 "2010-08-14T19:56:51Z")
This is precisely why we have different degrees of murder in the law. Coming home and finding your spouse cheating on you is the textbook example of “hot blood”, meaning that your responsibility for your actions is diminished (_not_ eliminated entirely), and so you’d only be charged with second-degree murder. If, however, you calm down and think it through, and come to a clear decision to kill, that’s cold-blooded murder, and is punished as first-degree murder. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-return-home-and-find-wife-in-bed-with-another-man-you-murder-them/550238/22 "2010-08-15T21:39:46Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > This is precisely why we have different degrees of murder in the law. Coming home and finding your spouse cheating on you is the textbook example of “hot blood”, meaning that your responsibility for your actions is diminished (_not_ eliminated entirely), and so you’d only be charged with second-degree murder. If, however, you calm down and think it through, and come to a clear decision to kill, that’s cold-blooded murder, and is punished as first-degree murder. That’s why you’ll hear sometimes that the defendant reloaded, and what a big deal that was - not a crime of passion when you stop to slot another magazine in. Especially not if you, say, had to go get more bullets from somewhere else. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-return-home-and-find-wife-in-bed-with-another-man-you-murder-them/550238/23 "2010-08-16T03:58:10Z")
> [@chronos](#): > > this is precisely why we have different degrees of murder in the law. Coming home and finding your spouse cheating on you is the textbook example of “hot blood”, meaning that your responsibility for your actions is diminished (_not_ eliminated entirely), and so you’d only be charged with second-degree murder. **if, however, you calm down and think it through** , and come to a clear decision to kill, that’s cold-blooded murder, and is punished as first-degree murder. need answer fast!! ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-return-home-and-find-wife-in-bed-with-another-man-you-murder-them/550238/24 "2010-08-16T06:18:13Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > This is precisely why we have different degrees of murder in the law. Coming home and finding your spouse cheating on you is the textbook example of “hot blood”, meaning that your responsibility for your actions is diminished (_not_ eliminated entirely), and so you’d only be charged with second-degree murder. If, however, you calm down and think it through, and come to a clear decision to kill, that’s cold-blooded murder, and is punished as first-degree murder. What are the limits for “hot blood?” In some places, seeing your 15 year daughter holding hands with her boyfriend would be considered enough to justify killing her. If you shoot her because you are so overwhelmed with the shame she has brought upon the family, will you get a lesser charge? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-return-home-and-find-wife-in-bed-with-another-man-you-murder-them/550238.md?page=1)