Posted on 02/20/2016 6:21:39 AM PST by Citizen Zed
The three teens knew the owner of the house they planned to burglarize that night in 2008 was in the hospital. They had not anticipated that his friend was asleep inside. Awakened by the breaking glass and fearful for his life, the man grabbed a gun from a dresser drawer. When one of the teens opened the bedroom door, the man fired.
The youngest of the three intruders, a slight 14-year-old in a red hoodie named Travis Castle, was killed.
Doyle, then 15, was charged with murder in his friend's death.
Doyle did not pull the trigger and was not even armed. But under a controversial Illinois law known as the felony murder rule, suspects can face murder charges if someone dies during the commission of certain felonies â even if the suspect in the underlying crime does not have a murder weapon or was not immediately present when the death occurred.
In Chicago and elsewhere, the law also has been used to charge crime suspects with murder when a fellow suspect is shot and killed by police.
The felony murder rule, particularly as applied to minors, has no shortage of critics.
(Excerpt) Read more at my.chicagotribune.com ...
“Controversial” only in the minority community.
As a matter or logic, if I was on a jury I could only convict someone of murder if they actually killed someone.
” ... In the case you cite, I might opt for manslaughter. Murder implies intent and reasonably foreseeable consequences.”
I would submit that respondents to LiM’s disapproval of the felony-murder rule are asking the wrong question.
We should instead be asking this question: Why does LiM believe that the life of the perp and the life of the friend bedded down in that house are of equal value?
I believe it’s called “Acting in concert”. Just don’t commit any crimes and you will be fine.
I remember a case in TX many years ago. A guy robs a bank kills the guard, gets in the getaway car driven by an accomplice. Both of them met Sparky for the murder.
Most people know about it.
I’m guessing the author figures that they should only have a hand lopped off, not be killed.
The person holding the sign may well not be able to read but it is a moot point because the sign in his hands has been Photoshopped. Here is the original photo and two Photoshopped versions that I created. In Version "B", even the other two signs have been altered.
In the digital universe of the internet, all may not what it appears to be.
“Hey, that 14 year old was âslightâ.”
Another innocent baby.
It is when the accused is a member of the din-do-nuffin crowd.
Right, criminals all agree without controversy, they want it gone!
"Hold muh beer an' watch this..."
I was pretty sure it was photoshopped. Thanks for the purty pitchers, nonetheless.
This was a big issue with stolen car chases (when cops in NJ used to really chase stolen cars); innocent bystanders killed in the pursuit were considered the responsibility of the perps.
This just happened last week where I live (Topeka, KS). A guy on the interstate fled police...onto a surface street...and within 30 seconds, a person was killed.
The perp has been charged with murder.
But its also opened up some questions locally about chases. The state highway patrol started the chase, on the highway...but it quickly went to local city streets. And the highway patrol have a completely different chase/no-chase policy that city police. IE, city police would have called it off.
Here in NJ we had a real epidemic of stolen car chases years ago, and most departments don’t engage in high-speed chases anymore. The highways may still see them, but they are finished in neighborhoods; too dangerous.
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