Sec. 53a-54c. Felony murder. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 53a-54c. Felony murder. A person is guilty of murder when, acting either alone or with one or more persons, he commits or attempts to commit robbery, burglary, kidnapping, sexual assault in the first degree, aggravated sexual assault in the first degree, sexual assault in the third degree, sexual assault in the third degree with a firearm, escape in the first degree, or escape in the second degree and, in the course of and in furtherance of such crime or of flight therefrom, he, or another participant, if any, causes the death of a person other than one of the participants, except that in any prosecution under this section, in which the defendant was not the only participant in the underlying crime, it shall be an affirmative defense that the defendant: (1) Did not commit the homicidal act or in any way solicit, request, command, importune, cause or aid the commission thereof; and (2) was not armed with a deadly weapon, or any dangerous instrument; and (3) had no reasonable ground to believe that any other participant was armed with such a weapon or instrument; and (4) had no reasonable ground to believe that any other participant intended to engage in conduct likely to result in death or serious physical injury.

      (P.A. 74-186, S. 11, 12; P.A. 76-336, S. 21; P.A. 79-570, S. 2; P.A. 92-260, S. 28.)

      History: P.A. 76-336 replaced rape in first degree, deviate sexual intercourse in first degree and sexual contact in first degree with sexual assault in first degree, sexual assault in first degree with firearm, sexual assault in third degree and sexual assault in third degree with firearm; P.A. 79-570 removed murder resulting from commission of or attempt to commit arson from purview of section; P.A. 92-260 replaced obsolete reference to offense of "sexual assault in the first degree with a firearm" with revised name of "aggravated sexual assault in the first degree"; (Revisor's note: In 1995 the indicators (A), (B), (C) and (D) were changed editorially by the Revisors to (1), (2), (3) and (4) respectively for consistency with statutory usage).

      See Sec. 53a-54a re murder.

      See Sec. 53a-54b re capital felony.

      Cited. 171 C. 683. Cited. 176 C. 257. Cited. 177 C. 677. Cited. 178 C. 116. Cited. 179 C. 78. Court did not err in refusing to instruct jury on lesser offenses of first degree burglary and first degree robbery since element of causation, which differentiates felony murder from the lesser offenses, was not sufficiently in dispute. 180 C. 599. Cited. 181 C. 151; Id., 187. Cited. 182 C. 419; Id., 580. Cited (1975 revision). 183 C. 299. Cited. 186 C. 1. Cited. 188 C. 542. Cited. 189 C. 346. Cited. 191 C. 636; Id., 659. Cited. 193 C. 70. Cited. Id., 144. Cited. Id., 350. Cited. 194 C. 223. Cited. Id., 279. Cited. Id., 416. Cited. Id., 530. Cited. 195 C. 505. Manslaughter is not a lesser included crime otherwise of felony murder. 196 C. 421. Cited. 197 C. 396; Id., 436; Id., 588. Cited. 198 C. 92; Id., 255; Id., 386; Id., 397; Id., 435; Id., 506; Id., 517; Id., 638; Id., 644. Cited. 199 C. 110. Cited. 200 C. 323; Id., 721. Cited. 201 C. 34; Id., 395; Id., 462. Cited. 202 C. 18; Id., 39. Cited. 203 C. 4; Id., 212. Cited. 204 C. 377. Cited. 205 C. 298; Id., 485; Id., 507; Id., 616; Id., 638. Cited. 206 C. 157; Id., 657. Cited. 207 C. 1. Cited. 208 C. 52. Cited. 209 C. 34; Id., 75; Id., 290; Id., 564; Id., 636. Cited. 210 C. 78; Id., 652; Id., 751. Cited. 211 C. 289. Cited. 212 C. 387. Cited. 213 C. 388. Cited. 214 C. 132; Id., 454; Id., 493. Cited. 215 C. 695. Cited. 216 C. 282; Id., 367; Id., 699. Cited. 218 C. 85; Id., 151; Id., 309; Id., 447; Id., 486. Cited. 219 C. 743. Cited. 220 C. 1; Id., 385; Id., 417. Cited. 221 C. 315; Id., 635; Id., 643; Id., 685. Cited. 222 C. 117. Cited. 223 C. 299; Id., 595; Id., 635; Id., 834. Cited. 225 C. 270; Id., 347. Cited. 227 C. 101. Cited. 229 C. 691. Cited. 230 C. 88; Id., 183; Id., 351. Cited. 233 C. 44. Cited. 234 C. 97. Cited. 235 C. 595; Id., 748; Id., 802. Cited. 237 C. 390; Id., 518; Id., 694. Cited. 238 C. 389; Id., 828. Cited. 240 C. 727. Cited. 241 C. 1; Id., 322. Conviction for felony murder under this section cannot serve as predicate for the crime of capital felony under Sec. 53a-54b(1). Id., 702. Cited. 242 C. 93; Id., 125; Id., 409; Id., 666. Cited. 247 C. 662. It is inconsistent with purpose of this statute to allow defendant who causes a death in the course of a felony to claim self-defense because victim attempted to thwart the felony. 254 C. 184. The defense of self-defense does not apply to charge of felony murder as a matter of law. Id., 202. A proper charge on felony murder predicated on an attempt crime should include an instruction on the definition of criminal attempt. 286 C. 707.

      Cited. 11 CA 80. Cited. 12 CA 385. Cited. 24 CA 723. Cited. 27 CA 794. Cited. 29 CA 573; Id., 771. Cited. 30 CA 381. Cited 31 CA 771; judgment reversed, see 230 C. 88. Cited. 32 CA 38; Id., 431. Cited. 33 CA 90. Cited. 35 CA 762. Cited. 36 CA 364; Id., 506; Id., 556. Cited. 38 CA 581. Cited. 41 CA 515. Self-defense not available as a defense to charge of felony murder. 42 CA 348. Cited. Id., 472. Cited. 43 CA 61. Cited. 45 CA 32; Id., 187; Id., 390; Id., 658. Reaffirmed prior holding that self-defense not a valid defense to charge of felony murder. 51 CA 798. Court rejects defendant's argument that killing of victim who resisted a robbery attempt by walking away is not committed "in the course of and in furtherance of" the attempted robbery because the attempted robbery had ceased. 64 CA 596.

      Cited. 36 CS 141. Cited. 41 CS 385. Cited 42 CS 426.