Law
In June 2009, Bernard Ramish set up a $48,000 trust fund through West Plains Credit Union to provide tuition for his nephew, Nathan Covacek, to attend Tri-State Polytechnic Institute. The trust was established under Ramishs control and went into effect that August. In December, Ramish suffered a brain aneurysm that caused frequent, severe headaches with no other symptoms. Shortly thereafter, Ramish met with an attorney to formalize in writing that he wanted no artificial life-support systems to be used should he suffer a serious illness. Ramish designated his cousin, Lizzie Johansen, to act on his behalf, including choosing his medical treatment, should he become incapacitated. In August 2011, Ramish developed heatstroke on the golf course at La Prima Country Club. After recuperating at the clubhouse, Ramish quickly wrote his will on the back of a wine list. It stated, "My last will and testament: Upon my death, I give all of my personal property to my friend Steve Eshom and my home to Lizzie Johansen." He signed the will at the bottom in the presence of five men in the La Prima clubhouse, and all five men signed as witnesses. A week later, Ramish suffered a second aneurysm and died in his sleep. He was survived by his mother, Dorris Ramish; his son-in-law, Bruce Lupin; and his granddaughter, Tori Lupin. Using the information presented in the chapter, answer the following questions.What would the order of inheritance have been if Ramish had died intestate?
A stagehand decided to play a practical joke on an actor. The stagehand went to the storage room where the stage props were stored and took what he believed to be a stage gun from the locker where the guns were kept. In fact, a week before, an actress had put her real pistol in the stage gun locker and borrowed the stage gun for an amateur theatrical her church group was putting on.The actress had forgotten to remove the bullets that her husband always kept in the gun. The stagehand went to the actor's dressing room and yelled, "You've stolen the part that I always wanted to play, now die for it!" The actor knew that the stagehand liked to play practical jokes, and after an initial frightened reaction, the actor broke out laughing. The stagehand laughed too, shouted, "Bang, you're dead!" and pulled the trigger. A bullet hit the actor in the heart, killing him.Which of the following best describes the stagehand's criminal liability?He has committed no crime.He is guilty of involuntary manslaughter.He is guilty of second degree murder.He is guilty of voluntary manslaughter.