Legal Definitions - sudden passion

Sudden passion is a term used in law to describe a strong emotional reaction that is quickly triggered by a provocation. This can include feelings of rage, terror, or hatred that arise suddenly due to someone's words or actions.

Under common law, sudden passion could be used as a mitigating factor in a murder charge, reducing it to manslaughter. However, it is important to note that the passion must be extreme enough to temporarily override reason and lead to impulsive actions.

For example, if someone witnesses their spouse cheating on them and immediately reacts by killing the other person, this could be considered a case of sudden passion. The intense emotions triggered by the infidelity could have temporarily overwhelmed their ability to think rationally and led to the impulsive act of violence.

Another example could be a person who is suddenly attacked and responds with violence out of fear and self-defense. The suddenness of the attack and the intense emotions it triggers could be considered a case of sudden passion.