What exactly is the felony murder law?
• A: Felony murder means that all persons engaged in a felony are liable for murder if one of them kills a person during the crime. The precise definition of felony murder varies depending on whether federal or state law applies to the case. Generally, someone is liable for murder if, during the course of committing a serious felony, someone else is killed. A “serious felony” is one like arson, robbery, burglary, kidnapping, or rape. For example, if A and B rob a bank and as they’re escaping B shoots and kills a bank employee, even by accident, both A and B may be charged with murder unfer the felony murder rule. Most states also apply the felony murder rule to situations where the death occurs during the immediate flight from the crime. It can also be applied if the perpetrators didn’t complete the underlying crime and only attempted to commit the crime, if someone dies during the attempt. In some states, it’s a defense to felony murder if the defendant was unarmed and had no reason t
