Page Text: Felony Murder: An On-Ramp for Extreme Sentencing
Nazgol Ghandnoosh, Ph.D., Emma Stammen, and Connie Budaci
Although other countries have largely rejected the felony murder doctrine, 48 states, the District of Columbia, and the federal government still use these laws. Felony murder laws compel harsh decades-long – or even life – sentences even when the individual charged did not directly cause or intend the loss of life.