Felony murder rule case in Florida: revenge or justice?

Ryan Holle is serving a life sentence at Wakulla Correctional Institute in Crawfordville, Fla., after he lent his car to friends who committed burglary and murder.The felony murder rule offers prosecutors in states like Florida and approximately 30 others the option to punish all actors in a crime as though their guilt is identical—the hand of one is the hand of all. But some cases, such as Florida’s prosecution of Ryan Holle, raise questions. Does the rule deliver justice or revenge? For a conservative to write those words is unusual—after all, aren’t we staunch advocates of law and order? Ironically, it is because I am a strong advocate of law and order that I am disturbed by Holle’s case.

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Ongoing dialog about felony murder rule in majority of US states

The felony murder rule is an American institution many legal authorities date to English common law, and a 26-year-old Florida man named Ryan Holle is one who, despite no criminal record, was handed a harsh sentence by the court because of the rule. The crime was pretty simple. Holle lent his car to a roommate. The roommate connected with others who went to a drug dealer’s home to steal a safe containing drugs. The group killed the dealer’s daughter during the robbery. Holle never went near the dealer; he was nursing a hangover from the night before, 1 ½ miles away from the crime scene.

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