California Senate Bill 1437 – Reduced Sentencing for the Felony Murder Rule
This really has to do with people who have been convicted and it's even starting to seep into new cases that are being filed or are in the process of being filed as murder cases in Los Angeles county, where if people were involved in a felony.
Let's say for example, they decided to rob a Seven-11 and one person waited in the car and there was a shooting and someone died inside the 7-11 store. Normally in addition to the person being charged under the felony murder rule who went in the 7-11, also the person waiting in the car would be charged with murder.
The argument would be that it's a foreseeable consequence that when you rob a location with a gun that someone's going to get killed.
Senate Bill 1437
This new Assembly Bill which was recently passed basically was allowing prosecutors to prosecute people who didn't even know anybody was going to be killed and really didn't have anything to do with the killing.
So, now under the new law, a person can be convicted of felony murder only if they're the actual person that killed somebody while they were committing a felony or they aided and abetted in the killing.
Meaning, they had to have a hand in it or they were a major participant in the killing. So, this really cuts down who can be prosecuted for murder under California Penal Code 187 which of course is the highest crime known to man.
So, if you or a loved one is facing a murder charge and you're concerned about whether or not you should actually be charged with murder because you're not even charged with pulling the trigger in the murder, pick up the phone.
Give me a call. Let's talk about it. Let's figure out exactly how we're going to handle it.
Retain a California Murder Defense Lawyer
I've been defending murder cases now for 26 years. I've handled countless murder cases. I can't even begin to count how many cases I've handled. I've negotiated them. I've taken them to trial. I've convinced the prosecutors to dismiss them. I've convinced the prosecutors not even to file them in the first place because people hire me pre-filing for their murder case.
This new Assembly Bill is going to be used not only for people who have been sentenced that are serving long sentences, but it's also going to be used to help people who are currently facing charges.
For example, a situation where they really shouldn't be being charged with murder, and people in the future who might be charged with a murder charge in Los Angeles county when they're not the ones that that pulled the trigger, stabbed somebody or was involved directly with the killing.
Now it's much more reasonable and those people who are serving long sentences, all kinds of things are being done to get these people out of custody now because they should have never been given such a long sentence in the first place because they're not the actual person that killed anybody.
So, this new Assembly Bill 1437 is very powerful and the old law wasn't fair. The new law and the new requirements that the prosecutors have to prove are much more fair and reasonable.
So, if you or a loved one is being charged with murder and you're not the actual one that did the killing and they're trying to get you under the felony murder room and they're doing so impermissibly, pick up the phone. Make the call. Let me go to work on the case and do everything I can to help you.
Hedding Law Firm is a top-ranked criminal defense law firm located Los Angeles County with a track record of success. We are located at 16000 Ventura Blvd #1208 Encino, CA 91436. We are also located at 633 West Fifth Street Los Angeles, CA 90071. Contact us for a free case evaluation at (213) 542-0979.
