StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Felony Murder and Criminal Law - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
The "Felony Murder and Criminal Law" paper argues that the fact that felony murders are in most cases perpetrated by criminals on the verge of committing felonies cannot be disputed. On the same note, there are intended and/or unintended deaths that occur during felonious activities.   …
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER94.9% of users find it useful
Felony Murder and Criminal Law
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Felony Murder and Criminal Law"

All persons are expected to observe the law to maintain peace among themselves. Breaking these laws for whatever reason attracts substantial punishments, the common being incarceration (Scheb, 2011).

In this respect, types, and forms of crime vary, and so are the laws that account for these crimes. Felony murder is one of the most critical crimes in the United States. Felonies vary in type and form, but the common denominator is that any death that occurs in the course of a crime is treated as felony murder. Crime perpetrators may or may not cause death in the line of crime, determining the extent of felony murder law application. Any person who commits a felony and causes death to another person in the course of that felony is guilty of felony murder according to felony murder law (Binder, 2012).

The crime perpetrator is highly likely to be charged and convicted of first-degree murder. While felony murder and how this murder is realized remains critical to serving justice, it is important to account for the proportion of people who are caught up in the acts of crime, and then held equally responsible for the murder(s) that occur. It is important to note that every single crime perpetrator found guilty of felony murder should be substantially punished for it. However, this should be controlled and limited to direct participants in criminal activities that result in felony murder.

There have been myriad reported cases of conviction of persons who do not even realize that they are in the middle of criminal activities when felony murders take place. In other words, as much as criminals should be held accountable for the deaths of innocent persons, there should be provisions for isolated cases following critical investigations into such matters. This can serve as an effective way to ensure that innocent persons are not incarcerated for felony murders that they can hardly explain.

The idea of felony murder law is to protect innocent persons from being hurt or losing their lives on the verge of crime (Binder, 2012). Of course, this is a welcome move for protecting citizens in the event of a crime. However, care should be taken in evaluating the conditions under which felony murders occur, to safeguard the interests of all persons. Otherwise, felony murder law can end up punishing the same citizens it is meant to protect. This should not imply that the law is scrapped. Rather, it is a call for caution in its application. 

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Felony Murder Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/law/1603944-felony-murder
(Felony Murder Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words)
https://studentshare.org/law/1603944-felony-murder.
“Felony Murder Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/law/1603944-felony-murder.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Felony Murder and Criminal Law

Differences between a felony and a misdemeanor

Different jurisdictions have different punishments and criminal law procedures for felonies and misdemeanors.... According to Currier and Eimermann, understanding these differences is important because it helps in understanding the procedural criminal law differences.... Breach of peace is considered a crime in common law countries.... Both felonies and misdemeanors are classes if criminal offenses that are punishable by the law....
4 Pages (1000 words) Assignment

Criminal Justice Process for a Felony Criminal Charge

Crime refers to a wrongful act against an individual or society, which is proclaimed by the law, and if committed under certain circumstances, it is punishable by society.... The crime is punishable in federal law by death or imprisonment for more than one year (Gaines, Miller, 2008).... The criminal justice system has three components; law enforcement agencies, which investigate crimes and apprehend the suspects; the court system, which charges, indicts, tries, and sentences the offenders; and the correctional system, which incapacitates convicted offenders and attempts to aid in their treatment and rehabilitation....
6 Pages (1500 words) Research Paper

Felons Should Keep Their Rights to Vote after Conviction

Therefore, most of them usually engage in criminal activities in an attempt to satisfy their basic needs.... The definition of the term felony varies from region to region.... However, the universal definition of felony is that it is a solemn offense and leads to the confiscation of property of the person that is convicted usually referred to as a felon (Lynch, 309–322).... An example of one of such widespread crimes is a felony....
7 Pages (1750 words) Essay

North Carolina: Criminal Procedure

criminal law distinguishes between serious crimes, known as felonies, and less serious offenses, called misdemeanors.... Thus, it becomes felony murder where an accused unintentionally killed a human being while committing or attempting to commit, such common-law felonies as burglary, arson, rape, or robbery.... Although of dubious ancestry, the felony murder doctrine has been incorporated into most criminal codes in the United States even in North Carolina (Hall, 2000)....
9 Pages (2250 words) Case Study

Research Proposal on Convicted Felons and Time in Prison

However, if court of law convicts a person to felony, the person is more likely to face a certain number of years in the.... The proper way of staving off the conviction of felony is Even if a person is accused of felony, he is more likely to find the best legal representative at one of the law firm to clear their name (Saferstein, 2003).... Finally, when the law approves it and the crime is seen to be serious, there is high chance that one receives a death penalty due to conviction of felony....
4 Pages (1000 words) Research Paper

Case of a Cocaine Delivery

criminal law: Cases, Materials, and Lawyering Strategies, 3rd ed.... Rule“A felony murder merges into lesser crimes if manslaughter results.... AnalysisThe felony murder rule only applies if a felony other than manslaughter is committed.... ntervening CauseA felony murder is committed if time, distance, and causal relationship of the killing are connected to the commission of the underlying felony (Crump, Cohen, John, and Pether, 114)....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Criminal Justice Process for a Felony

The paper "criminal Justice Process for a Felony" states that the criminal justice process indeed deals effectively with criminal prosecutions.... A felony refers to a criminal charge, which attracts imprisonment for a jail term exceeding one year or a death sentence (May, Minor, and Ruddell, 2007).... A felony has also to be distinguished from a misdemeanor, in that a misdemeanor results when a criminal is incarcerated for a period not exceeding one year....
6 Pages (1500 words) Research Paper

Felony Defense in the U.S

Thus, in each state, crime and criminal activities are distinguished into specific categories, as influenced by their seriousness, cause-effects, and social implications, amongst others.... It reveals such aspects as characteristics and implications of the crime of felony and defense in a Court of law.... while federal laws hold supreme, as anchored in the constitution, state law is also important in both its distinction and role-function.... Felonies are by far, the most serious of criminal offenses, typically involving the presence of the threat of harm or serious physical harm....
11 Pages (2750 words) Research Paper
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us