Felony Murder Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Felony Murder - Essay Example 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 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 for 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 substantial 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 on 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 at the verge of crime (Binder, 2012). Of course, this is a welcome move for protecting citizens in the event of crime. However, care should be taken in evaluating the conditions under which felony murders occur, in order to safeguard the interests of all persons.