A federal appeals court cleared the way Monday for a constitutional challenge to California’s broad felony-murder law, which classifies unintentional killings during the commission of an “inherently dangerous” felony as second-degree murder, punishable by up to life in prison.
Hundreds of inmates are serving lengthy prison terms under the law, which goes further than laws in other states in treating all participants in crimes as murderers if someone is killed. The state Senate has passed legislation that would narrow the law to exclude those who had not actually committed the killing or acted with “reckless indifference” to human life. Prosecutors oppose the measure, and its future is uncertain.
Read More – CALIFORNIA FELONY-MURDER LAW CHALLENGE BACKED BY US COURT, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, AUGUST 6, 2018