in the first degree

idiom

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

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He was charged with two counts of money laundering in the second degree, two counts of conspiracy in the fourth degree, a scheme to defraud in the first degree and conspiracy in the fifth degree. Graham Kates, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2025 Bannon and We Build the Wall were charged with two counts of money laundering in the second degree, two counts of conspiracy in the fourth degree, one count of a scheme to defraud in the first degree and one count of conspiracy in the fifth degree. Ted Johnson, Deadline, 11 Feb. 2025 Emerson has pleaded not guilty to 83 counts of recklessly endangering another person, a class A misdemeanor, and one count of endangering an aircraft in the first degree, a class C felony, in connection with the incident, which occurred on a flight that left from Paine Field in Liias' district. Melissa Santos, Axios, 6 Feb. 2025 What To Know In New York, Mangione is charged with 11 counts including murder as a crime of terrorism and murder in the first degree. Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for in the first degree 

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“In the first degree.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20the%20first%20degree. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.

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