Maryland Democrats have proposed a bill that, if it became law, would stop anyone under 25 from being charged with felony murder. In Maryland, felony murder typically refers to a murder that happens in the commission of another felony such as carjacking or kidnapping. Maryland law currently dictates that if there is a group of people committing a crime, then everyone is eligible to be charged with felony murder if someone is killed on the scene or as a result. For example, if five people rob a convenience store and one of the robbers kills the clerk behind the counter, then all of the people who participated in the robbery will also be charged with felony murder… although only one person pulled the trigger.
The bill’s sponsors argue that anyone under the age of 25 does not have a brain developed enough to be held responsible in felony murder situations. This is a ridiculous assertion as many people under 25 have lengthy rap sheets that span over a decade. The Freddie Gray situation in Baltimore revealed that some guys right around age 25 have been arrested nearly one hundred times. Such an extensive arrest record points toward a career criminal who knows fully well what they are doing. Furthermore, some of the same people who defend this soft-on-crime bill also say that a 12-year-old should be able to become transgender. Apparently, their brains are developed fully well to make a life-altering decision that they may regret in one year, but not developed enough to understand that becoming a career (violent) criminal is a bad thing.
