State of California v. Grigor Hovsepyan

Los Angeles,. California, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with murder and attempted murder.

Grigor Hovsepyan was charged with murder in the death of Gavin Unzueta, who was a College of the Canyons student at the time of the shooting, and attempted murder for shooting at Unzueta’s friends, Nick Sanchez and Paul Lopez.

Under California law (California Penal Code Section 187 and Section 189), first-degree murder is the unlawful killing of a human being or fetus with malice aforethought that involves premeditation and deliberation, specific dangerous methods, or the felony-murder rule.

Core Elements of First-Degree Murder

To convict someone of first-degree murder, the prosecution must prove one of the following scenarios:

• Premeditation and Deliberation: The killer weighed the considerations for and against their action, and thought about the act before committing it (even if the decision was made in a short span of time).

• Specific Destructive Methods: The killing was done using a destructive device or bomb, a weapon of mass destruction, poison, ammunition designed to pierce armor, torture, or lying in wait.

• The Felony-Murder Rule: The death happened during the commission (or attempted commission) of certain inherently dangerous felonies listed in Penal Code Section 189, such as:

• Robbery or burglary

• Rape or sodomy

• Arson or kidnapping

• Carjacking or mayhem

• Train wrecking

(Note: Under updated California law changes, a participant who did not physically kill the victim generally cannot be convicted of felony murder unless they acted with the intent to kill or were a major participant acting with reckless indifference to human life.)

Penalties

• Standard First-Degree Murder: Punished by a state prison sentence of 25 years to life.
• First-Degree Murder

Guilty.