in the first degree

idiom

: of the most serious type : deserving the harshest punishment
She was accused of murder in the first degree.

Examples of in the first degree in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web On July 14, 2021, 21 months after Kristen Trickle's death, Colby Trickle was charged with murder in the first degree and interfering with law enforcement. Iris Carreras, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2024 All four suspects were booked into the Texas County Jail on two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping, and one count of conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree, the OSBI said. USA TODAY, 25 Apr. 2024 The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) confirmed in a press release that 31-year-old Paul Grice was arrested and booked into the Texas County Jail on two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping, and one count of conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree. Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Fox News, 24 Apr. 2024 Following an initial investigation, Jack was identified as a suspect, and warrants were obtained for a criminal attempt to commit murder and cruelty to children in the first degree, police said at the time. Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024 Falsifying records in the first degree is subject to up to four years in prison, and a five-thousand-dollar fine. Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2024 The Jefferson County District Attorney's Office has issued a warrant for the arrest of Cedric Dewayne Robertson, 37, charged with kidnapping in the first degree, per police. Emily Palmer, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024 Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. Anders Hagstrom, Fox News, 9 Apr. 2024 Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree last year. Brooke Singman, Fox News, 2 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'in the first degree.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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Cite this Entry

“In the first degree.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20the%20first%20degree. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.

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