felony murder rule

The felony murder rule is a legal principle in the United States where a death that occurs during the commission or attempted commission of a dangerous felony can result in murder charges for all participants in that felony, even if they did not directly cause the death. A felony is generally defined as a crime punishable by at least one year in prison or by death.12

This rule applies even if the death was accidental or unintentional. The rationale is that engaging in a dangerous felony demonstrates a disregard for human life, making all involved culpable for any resulting fatalities. However, some states may classify these "felony murders" as second-degree murder rather than first-degree. The distinctions between degrees of murder exist because jurisdictions believe not all murders are equally serious and some perpetrators deserve more severe punishment.1