Criminally Negligent Homicide may be charged as which classifications?

• A. Felony Class A or Misdemeanor Class B
• B. Felony Class B or Misdemeanor Class C
• C. Misdemeanor Class A or Felony Class C
• D. Violation

Answer: (C)

Criminally negligent homicide is graded to reflect how serious the negligence was and the surrounding circumstances, rather than being fixed at one level. Because it involves causing death through a relatively low level of mental fault, the offense sits at the lower end of the criminal scale: it can be charged as a high-end misdemeanor or as a low-end felony, depending on factors like the degree of negligence and any aggravating circumstances. That range is captured by the pairing of a Misdemeanor Class A or a Felony Class C.

Think of it this way: a Class A misdemeanor is the most serious misdemeanor, while a Class C felony is the least serious felony. If the conduct is less egregious, it may be charged as a high-grade misdemeanor; if there are factors that elevate the culpability, it can rise to a low-grade felony. This is why the correct option lists those two classifications.

The other possibilities aren’t accurate for this offense because it isn’t a simple violation, and it isn’t restricted to only higher or only lower felony categories; the practical range often includes the high-level misdemeanor to the low-level felony.