Felony

When you want to make a case for a particular position on an issue you find the one case that most represents your side. In Pennsylvania they have a charge of felony murder also known as second degree murder. Conviction brings a mandatory life in prison without parole. This can be repealed by reopening the case and presenting new arguments. In recent years the PA legislators have tried to eliminate the felony murder murder rule to get a chance for re sentencing but each time the bill failed. A candidate for US Senate, Fetterman, is proposing changing the law and the example he uses is 18 year old Tyreen Rivers. Tyreen followed an elderly woman home from the bank and tried to grab her purse as she climbed the steps to her front door. He did not shove or hit her but the 85 year old woman fell down the steps and died. There are 1,200 people in prison in PA charged with felony murder and Fetterman wants to change the law and feels that about one-third of these should be released. To do this each case would be reviewed and those deemed eligible would be released. Unless they change the law more people like Tyreen will be sent to prison for life. It would make sense to change the law and then release those eligible. Fetterman has the cart before the horse. His way is to circumvent the legislature and just begin releasing prisoners. It would be another case of a bureaucrat overruling the legislature.