For school, my class is having a court-like based trial based on this book by Herman Melville. The case is about Billy Budd, on if he's innocent or guilty for killing the master-at-arms on the ship, Claggart.
I'm responsible for collecting the public opinions about Billy's case and I told them the Dollars are the perfect people to go to.

I'm on the Defense, but I also need some prosecutor perspectives so that I can enforce my answers against these reasons.

Here is my argument.
The situation is Billy Budd, a sailor who's innocent and kind-hearted (loved by everyone except for Claggart, the master-at-arms), kills one of the head officers, the one that dislikes him, by a blow to the head. Billy is completely naive and oblivious to what had happened; he had no idea Claggart hated him, and when Claggart started accusing Billy of things he never did, Billy's frustration builds up, and instead of expressing himself through words (which would have been a problem in the first place- he has a stuttering problem and rarely speaks his emotions without hesitation), so instead of trying to speak, his response came out through his fist. On accident, he killed Claggart.

We are judging this case with today's court system, ignoring the time period and how different laws were on the ship then on land (or the fact this was during war).

If something like this happened today, what do you think should be the charges? Death Penalty, free of charges, 1st degree murder, 2nd degree murder (manslaughter), or 3rd degree murder?

Please tell me your opinion on the matter, it'd really help with my project. Thank you.