The Deadly Getaway
People v. Fuller (1978)
Charge: First-Degree Felony Murder Jurisdiction: California Heard on GUILTY or NOT?: 29 September 2026
Whether an accidental traffic death during flight from a tire theft becomes murder because that theft is a burglary named in the statute.
The facts
Early one morning the Defendants were caught breaking into unlocked, unoccupied cars to steal tires. Fleeing the police at high speed, they ran a red light and crashed into another vehicle, killing its driver. The killing was plainly accidental, but because it happened during the burglaries and the flight from them, the Prosecution charged the Defendants with first-degree felony murder.
You have the facts the court had. Did the prosecution prove it? Render your verdict in the game, then see what the court actually decided — and why.
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Terms in this case
Citation: People v. Fuller, 86 Cal. App. 3d 618, 150 Cal. Rptr. 515 (1978)
Read the full decision at law.justia.com. The source reveals the outcome.