In a powerful segment on his show "Last Week Tonight," host John Oliver delivered a scathing critique of felony murder laws that are sending people to prison for decades for crimes they didn't commit or intend to happen.
What Exactly Is Felony Murder?
Oliver explained the controversial legal doctrine in simple terms. "Felony murder is basically a felony plus a death equals a murder charge, even if you didn't intend to kill anyone and even if you're not the one who did the killing," he stated during Sunday's broadcast.
The host emphasized that under these laws, prosecutors don't need to prove intent or direct involvement in a killing. "Crucially, you don't have to be an active participant in a killing to get charged with felony murder," Oliver noted. "You don't even have to be anywhere near it."
Shocking Real-World Consequences
Oliver presented several disturbing examples of how felony murder laws are being applied, including one particularly troubling case. A man who simply lent his car to his roommate is now serving a life sentence because that vehicle was used in a robbery that resulted in someone being beaten to death.
The investigation revealed that many states allow death sentences for unintentional killings under felony murder statutes. Since 1985, 11 people have been executed under these laws despite not personally killing anyone. Oliver emphasized the gravity of this statistic: "That is 11 people executed for murder despite not killing anyone."
Racial Disparities in Sentencing
Perhaps the most alarming revelation concerned the racial inequities in how felony murder laws are applied. Oliver highlighted data from New York showing that Hispanic people are approximately 12 times more likely than white people to be convicted under these laws, while Black people face an even more staggering disparity at 34 times more likely to receive felony murder convictions compared to white defendants.
Oliver concluded that while nobody argues against consequences for criminal behavior, people should be punished for crimes they actually commit. "Felony murder really doesn't address crime at all," he argued. "All it does is throw people in prison for decades for something that they often did not do."
The segment ended with Oliver posing the fundamental question these laws raise: "All of which really begs the question, 'What the fuck?'"
