Kidnapping in first degree- Penalties

Vegas Defense Attorney Explains First Degree Kidnapping

In Nevada law, there are many different types of behaviors that could result in criminal charges. Title 15 of Nevada’s code details crimes and punishments and different chapters within Title 15 establish the rules for different categories of criminal offenses.

Some of the most serious crimes under Nevada law are made illegal in Chapter 200, which is the chapter of Nevada’s criminal code that deals with crimes against persons. Chapter 200 is a chapter that establishes the rules for crimes like homicide, mayhem, and kidnapping.

Kidnapping crimes have their own subsection within Chapter 200 and the statues relate to kidnapping define the offense and establish different degrees of kidnapping. First-degree kidnapping is defined in Nevada Revised Statute section 200.320. It is the most serious of the kidnapping offenses and the kidnapping crime for which a defendant will face the harshest penalties.

The penalties if convicted of kidnapping could change your future, and you need to fight aggressively for the best outcomes possible throughout your involvement with the criminal justice system. The best way to do that is to have a knowledgeable Nevada defense attorney advocating for you and advising you.

When you need a lawyer familiar with representing defendants accused of crimes against the person, LV Criminal Defense is here to help. We know the laws in Chapter 200 inside and out and we can put our extensive legal experience to work to help you fight for your freedom. Just give us a call today to find out how a Vegas criminal attorney can help you.

Nevada Revised Statute section 200.320: Kidnapping in the First Degree

The definitions of different degrees of kidnapping are found in N.R.S. 200.310. First-degree kidnapping is the most serious of the kidnapping offenses and a defendant can be charged with first-degree kidnapping for:

• Willfully seizing a victim, confining a victim, abducting a victim, concealing a victim, kidnapping a victim, or carrying a victim away by any means
• For purposes of obtaining ransom or rewards; for purposes of committing sexual assault; for purposes of committing robbery or extortion; for purposes of killing the victim or inflicting serious bodily harm; or to extract items of value from relatives, friends or other persons in exchange for the return of the victim.

A defendant could also be charged with first-degree kidnapping for enticing, taking, leading, carrying away, or detaining a minor to keep the minor from his or her parents, guardian, or any other individual with lawful custody with the intent to hold the minor to unlawful service or with the intent to perpetrate any type of unlawful act upon the minor.

Kidnapping in the first degree is a Category A felony. The penalties are set forth in N.R.S. 200.320. If the kidnapped person suffers substantial bodily harm at any time during the kidnapping or during an attempted escape, the defendant could be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole; life in prison with eligibility for parole beginning after a minimum of 15 years; or for a definite term of 40 years imprisonment with the possibility of parole after a minimum of fifteen years.

If the victim does not experience any substantial bodily harm, the defendant could be sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after a period of five years or to a definite period of 15 years imprisonment with the possibility of parole beginning after five years.