Court Opinion

ID: 9605530
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 02:38:31.140481+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:02:28.664422
License: Public Domain

MR. CHIEF JUSTICE PRINGLE
dissenting:
I respectfully dissent.
In my view, there is no room for the speculation through which the majority weaves its way in order to achieve its result.
In pertinent part, with all extraneous verbiage not applicable here omitted, the statute provides:
“(1) A person commits the crime of murder in the first degree if:
* * * *
“(b) Acting . .. with one or more persons, he commits . . . robbery ... and in the course of or in furtherance of the crime . .. the death of a person, other than one of the participants, is caused ...”
As I see it, the language of the statute is in plain English and when grammatically parsed can result in only one conclusion, that is, that one who is engaged in a robbery in the course of which the death of a person other than one of the participants is caused commits the crime of murder. The defendants, by their act of robbery, allegedly put in motion the events which resulted in the tragic death of an innocent man and for this I would order them to stand trial on first-degree murder as I believe the statute warrants.
MR. JUSTICE ERICKSON authorizes me to say that he joins in this dissent.