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Felony Murder
The felony murder rule is one of the most controversial in all of criminal law. It allows a defendant to be convicted of murder if it is shown that a death occured in the course of a felony, even if the defendant had no mens rea whatsoever with regard to the death of the victim or of anyone else. We investigate the rule, its justifications, and the limits courts and legislatures have placed on it to minimize the inequities that might result from the rule's broadest application.
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