List of punishments for murder in the United States

Murder, as defined in common law countries, is the unlawful killing of another human being with intent (or malice aforethought), and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide (such as manslaughter). As the loss of a human being inflicts an enormous amount of grief for individuals close to the victim, as well as the fact that the commission of a murder permanently deprives the victim of their existence, most societies have considered it a very serious crime warranting the harshest punishments available. A person who commits murder is called a murderer, and the penalties, as outlined below, vary from state to state.

In 2005, the United States Supreme Court held that offenders under the age of 18 at the time of the murder were exempt from the death penalty under Roper v. Simmons.

In 2012, the United States Supreme Court held in Miller v. Alabama that mandatory sentences of life without the possibility of parole are unconstitutional for juvenile offenders.

Civilian
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Military
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District of Columbia
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U.S. Virgin Islands
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Alabama
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Alaska
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Arizona
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Arkansas
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California
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Excluding murder, all offenses below are eligible for probation terms. If probation is given, the maximum confinement sentence is up to a year in jail with up to five years of probation. If probation is denied, the following prison terms are used:

===Colorado ===

Florida
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Louisiana
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Maine
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Michigan
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Mississippi
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Nevada
Under Assembly Bill 267, juveniles must have parole eligibility begin after 20 years if only one death occurred. Nevada does not have guidelines on when to offer parole if more than one person was killed. But, the judge would apply the same as if it was just one victim.

New Hampshire
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Ohio
Ohio differentiates between "Aggravated Murder (First-Degree Murder)" and "Murder (Second-Degree Murder)." Aggravated Murder consists of purposely causing the death of another (or unlawful termination of a pregnancy) with prior calculation and design, or purposely causing the death of another under the age of 13, a law enforcement officer, or in the course of committing certain serious felony offenses. Murder consists of purposely causing the death of another, or causing the death of another as a proximate result of committing certain serious felony offenses.

Oregon
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Vermont
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Washington
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West Virginia
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Wyoming
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