Petition: Eliminate Florida's felony murder rule.

[Tiberius]

[Minimalist]

But six cops can be right there blazing away and the mayor claps them on the back for doing their civic duty.

See why this country is fucked up?

[The Grand Nudger]

Well, the idea behind this is that he was

a: consulted with regards to the commision of a crime.
b: knowingly aided in the commission of a crime.
c: the commission of the crime involved felony murder as a circumstance.

He does fit the bill for an accomplice perfectly. Keep in mind the sentence could have been harsher, lethal injection was an option (Florida, last I checked, along with Mississippi and a few other southern states allow for the execution of accomplices to murder even if they do not themselves strike a blow...unless that's changed since I looked, which was admittedly awhile back....and I hope it has). Had the crime not involved drugs, murder, and a female, he might have gotten a better deal through plea bargaining, for example. Looks like they threw the book at the kid, so-to-speak.

Of the three examples provided his is probably the least compelling with regards to whether or not I would sign the petition. Nevertheless, almost on general principle I;d sign the damned thing as one thing that is immediately apparent if you grow up in the sunshine state......something just aint right about the place, it's laws, or it's citizens...

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

Isn't the felony murder law an American thing? It's my business what Americans do in their own country exactly how? (assuming I care,which I don't)

Callous,perhaps, but also realistic. I have no time for futile, self righteous expressions of outrage to foreign countries. THAT was the idea behind the the paper tiger which is the United Nations .

Although the US considers it a divine right to interfere in the affairs of other nations,it responds badly when the shoe is on the other foot

[Tiberius]

a: consulted with regards to the commision of a crime.
b: knowingly aided in the commission of a crime.
c: the commission of the crime involved felony murder as a circumstance.

He does fit the bill for an accomplice perfectly.

Accomplice to a burglary, not to a murder.

In any case, if you read his wiki you'll find that he has consistently denied knowing that they were going to rob someone; he was hungover and thought it was a joke.

It's ridiculous that the simple act of lending a car can end with you in jail for life. The argument used by the prosecutor ("No car, no crime.") is just a bad application of logic. Who's to say they wouldn't have gotten a car from somewhere else?

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Isn't the felony murder law an American thing? It's my business what Americans do in their own country exactly how? (assuming I care,which I don't)

I care about rights violations in other parts of the world. Petitions can be signed by anyone, regardless of nationality. If I lent my car to my friend and he drove to someone's house and killed a girl, I am 100% innocent of any crime.

[5thHorseman]

Sick laws for a sick state.

Florida has some fucking awful laws.

[Tiberius]

[5thHorseman]

[The Grand Nudger]

Accomplice to a burglary, not to a murder.

The burglary involved a murder, the way that our law is setup an accomplice to any given crime is also culpable for any other crime committed in the course of it's commission Tibs.

In any case, if you read his wiki you'll find that he has consistently denied knowing that they were going to rob someone; he was hungover and thought it was a joke.

People deny their guilt when murder charges are brought. Don't get me wrong, I'm not agreeing with this ruling. I'm simply pointing out that there are a great many cases where an accomplice denies knowledge of a crime, and he is an accomplice to murder under Florida law...as well as burglary.

It's ridiculous that the simple act of lending a car can end with you in jail for life.

Correction, he lent a car for the commission of a crime which ultimately led to homicide.

The argument used by the prosecutor ("No car, no crime.") is just a bad application of logic. Who's to say they wouldn't have gotten a car from somewhere else?

Okay, should we haul in everyone they -might- have borrowed a car from? No, of course not, that's not how this works. No one in this case was charged with what -might- have happened. His car, which he freely lent, presumably with the knowledge that they were going to commit a crime (I understand that he disputes this...but this argument would have had to have been made -perhaps a "friend" threw him under the bus) was used in the commission of a crime, which happened to involve felony murder. That's pretty clear cut.

Look, I do think that these sorts of rulings blow, but they are solid and there are many cases in which you would want to see the accomplice laws applied. Consistent application of law amigo. "I was drunk, I was hungover, I thought they were kidding" is not an effective defense against robbery or murder. Even without felony murder doctrine this kid would still have faced charges as an accomplice to murder (though it's likely that he would have been sentenced, if convicted, much more leniently approaching the scale of manslaughter).

What the felony murder doctrine allows is that accomplices be sentenced (and charged) to the maximum, whereas other laws allow accomplices to be charged with murder/manslaughter even when they do not actively strike a blow or even involve themselves directly in the crime.

Like I said, I think the "I was hungover" defense in a case that involved drugs, robbery, and the murder of a female didn't go over well with the jurors that florida is likely to field. You know, seniors...waiting to die....looking to take some annoying young kid with them on the way out, red state...etc etc etc.

[frankiej]

Stealing a guys weed? These people are monsters!