# Explain a charge of felony death to me? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 10, 2024, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-a-charge-of-felony-death-to-me/1000099 "2024-04-10T14:57:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2024, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-a-charge-of-felony-death-to-me/1000099/21 "2024-04-10T18:40:02Z")
As I vaguely recall from previous news articles over the years, the other flaw in this law is that the actual perp may obtain a plea deal and end up with a much lesser sentence than the person who did not actually do the killing, because they object to the law and insist on going to trial. Which also points to a serious injustice that prosecutors have a very broad range in what sentence they threaten and what they settle for to avoid a trial. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2024, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-a-charge-of-felony-death-to-me/1000099/22 "2024-04-10T19:02:42Z")
> [@md-2000](#): > > the actual perp may obtain a plea deal and end up with a much lesser sentence than the person who did not actually do the killing, because they object to the law and insist on going to trial. Which also points to a serious injustice that prosecutors have a very broad range in what sentence they threaten and what they settle for to avoid a trial. Prosecutors frequently work on the “body count” system where two convictions look better on their record than one. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2024, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-a-charge-of-felony-death-to-me/1000099/23 "2024-04-10T20:37:24Z")
[Moderating] “Should” questions are the domain of IMHO, not FQ. Moving. ---
**Author:** ![Retzbu\_Tox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/retzbu_tox/32/11829_2.png) [@Retzbu\_Tox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Retzbu_Tox)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2024, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-a-charge-of-felony-death-to-me/1000099/24 "2024-04-11T16:07:54Z")
In the case that was near me, they did recently arrest one more of the armed robbers, but it still sounds like no one will be charged regarding the death of the 16-year-old who came to the door of the house, Mackenzie Bullard. [https://muddyrivernews.com/tag/mackenzie-bullard/](https://muddyrivernews.com/tag/mackenzie-bullard/) One thing increasing the frustration with the situation is the supposed callousness of some of those connected with the homicide, allegedly doing things like posing for selfies with the victim’s body and flashing weapons from the window of their vehicle while driving past the vigil held by family and friends. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2024, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-a-charge-of-felony-death-to-me/1000099/25 "2024-04-11T16:52:30Z")
It gets more ridiculous than that _the clerk shoots Frank dead_ then the Joe can still be charged with murder, even if Frank was the instigator of the plan. Yeah the felony murder rule is a massive injustice. IMO it survives as felons are not a popular group on the whole so there is no political will to right an injustice against them . It doesn’t make it less of an injustice though. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-a-charge-of-felony-death-to-me/1000099.md?page=1)