NAPD 2023 Rise, Resist, Represent Conference

How to thwart the injustice of murder twice removed?  We are trying in Minnesota to curtail homicidal liability for those who neither have intent, nor pull the trigger. The presentation will begin with a brief overview of the felony-murder doctrine, focusing on the aiding and abetting application. We will discuss the 2018 tragedy in a Minneapolis suburb that incited reform efforts, and talk about framing Aiding and Abetting Felony-Murder in a compelling way for law makers. We will walk through the steps of legislative reform underway now in Minnesota, including the formation of a task force, bill drafting, and lobbying. We will discuss the backdrop of George Floyd’s murder and analyze the legal, data-based, and human aspects of the doctrine applied to killings by police and also, more frequently, weaponized against our clients. We will close with an optimistic look at policy, politics, and prognosis—in Minnesota and around the country—including the implications of reform for our clients and those who once abused Aiding and Abetting Felony-Murder to harm them.