system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: The Degrees of Murder.

(First, second, and third)
gpt
It varies by jurisdiction. However, here is the general outline:

* **1st Degree Murder** is premeditated murder with malice aforethought. Premeditated means you calmly decided to go and kill someone. You could have decided to do it a year ago or a split-second before the act, it's still pre-meditated. Malice more or less means you either wanted them dead or you acted in a way that you should have reasonably expected them to die (ie. If you shoot someone, you can't say "I didn't mean for it to kill them!").
* **Second Degree Murder** is is murder with malice but without premeditation. You meant to kill them but it was done in the heat of passion (ie. You found your wife in bed with your best friend and you pulled out a gun and shot them). The key point is that you were legitimately provoked and there wasn't enough time for you to cool down. Both of these points are a judgement call by the jury.
* **Third Degree Murder** or otherwise known as **Manslaughter** is killing someone without malice or premeditation. You didn't mean to kill them and didn't plan on it either. You just acted recklessly and it caused someones death. Driving while drunk and hitting someone; leaving a loaded firearm out and a kid shooting himself; etc. are typically third degree murder or manslaughter. Some jurisdictions split this into **voluntary** and **involuntary** manslaughter. Voluntary means you were in a fight, you didn't mean to kill them, and somehow they died (hit them in the wrong spot, shoved them and they fell down some stairs, etc). Involuntary is usually negligence type things (drunk driving, leaving out a loaded weapon, etc).