Felony murder rule (Texas)
Encyclopedia
Texas' felony murder rule
, known as the law of parties, is a variation on the common law
felony murder rule. Codified in Texas Penal Code § 7.02, the law states that a person can be criminally responsible for the actions of another if he or she aids and abets, or conspires
with the principal. However, all common law jurisdictions find that an accessory to murder will be criminally responsible. This liability can arise through solicitation, aiding and abetting, conspiracy, or any other doctrine of complicity.
The law of parties is significantly different to the felony murder rule
in other jurisdictions and attracts heated debate, particularly when the capital punishment
is a possible sentence. In 2009, the Texas Moratorium Network
led an advocacy campaign to pass a bill to end the death penalty for people convicted under the law of Pparties. The bill was approved by the Texas House of Representatives
, but did not pass the Senate
.
People convicted under the law include Kenneth Foster
, Jeff Wood
, Clinton Lee Young
, Steven Michael Woods, Jr.
,
Robert Lee Thompson,
John Adams
and
Joseph Nichols.
Felony murder rule
The rule of felony murder is a legal doctrine in some common law jurisdictions that broadens the crime of murder in two ways. First, when an offender kills accidentally or without specific intent to kill in the course of an applicable felony, what might have been manslaughter is escalated to murder...
, known as the law of parties, is a variation on the common law
Common law
Common law is law developed by judges through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive branch action...
felony murder rule. Codified in Texas Penal Code § 7.02, the law states that a person can be criminally responsible for the actions of another if he or she aids and abets, or conspires
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
with the principal. However, all common law jurisdictions find that an accessory to murder will be criminally responsible. This liability can arise through solicitation, aiding and abetting, conspiracy, or any other doctrine of complicity.
The law of parties is significantly different to the felony murder rule
Felony murder rule
The rule of felony murder is a legal doctrine in some common law jurisdictions that broadens the crime of murder in two ways. First, when an offender kills accidentally or without specific intent to kill in the course of an applicable felony, what might have been manslaughter is escalated to murder...
in other jurisdictions and attracts heated debate, particularly when the capital punishment
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
is a possible sentence. In 2009, the Texas Moratorium Network
Texas Moratorium Network
Texas Moratorium Network is a grassroots non-profit organization with the primary goal of mobilizing statewide support for a moratorium on executions in Texas...
led an advocacy campaign to pass a bill to end the death penalty for people convicted under the law of Pparties. The bill was approved by the Texas House of Representatives
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
, but did not pass the Senate
Texas Senate
The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing 31 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 672,000 per constituency. There are no term limits, and each term is four years long. The Senate meets at the...
.
Convictions under the felony murder rule
- See also Lists of people executed in Texas
People convicted under the law include Kenneth Foster
Kenneth Foster
Kenneth Foster, Jr. is a prisoner formerly on death row in Texas, convicted under the law of parties. He was convicted of murdering Michael LaHood in August 1996...
, Jeff Wood
Jeff Wood (prisoner)
Jeffery Lee Wood was scheduled to be executed by the state of Texas on August 21, 2008. Similar to Kenneth Foster, Wood's execution stems from Texas's Law of Parties, a subset of the Felony-Murder doctrine....
, Clinton Lee Young
Clinton Lee Young
Clinton Lee Young is a death row inmate and convicted murderer, currently awaiting an appeal in the state of Texas. Young is facing the death penalty on premise of the Law of Parties, which cites that participation in a murder is grounds for capital punishment.Young is known for his Uncensored...
, Steven Michael Woods, Jr.
Conviction and execution of Steven Michael Woods, Jr.
Steven Michael Woods, Jr. was an American who was executed by lethal injection in the state of Texas. Woods was sentenced to the death penalty after a jury convicted him of the capital murders of drug dealer Ronald Whitehead, 21, and Bethena Brosz, 19, on May 2, 2001 in The Colony, Texas...
,
Robert Lee Thompson,
John Adams
and
Joseph Nichols.