The definition of murder according to Florida Law Makers.
In Florida all who participate in a fatal robbery are equally guilty of first degree murder whether they were responsible for the death or not.
The case of Jennifer Mee who gained fame as a teenager as The Hiccup Girl when she suffered from an incurable bout of hiccups is a perfect example of how this law works.
At 19 Jennifer arranged a date with a young man whom she contacted on Facebook but while he had romance on his mind, Jennifer’s motive was robbery; her two male friends carried out the mugging and it was during this process that the victim was fatally shot.
Jennifer had her day in court along with the others and was convicted of first degree murder; her sentence was life without the possibility of parole.
The sentence Jennifer received shocked so many people and does raise some serious questions of the prosecution and they are;
1. What justification is there for such a severe sentence?
2. Is Jennifer a danger to the public if released?
There are two serious sticking points as far as I am concerned and they are;
1. Jennifer did not at any stage intend to kill the victim.
2. Who is responsible for the fatality caused by a firearm?
First one first; so if Jennifer did not ever intend to kill the victim, it could hardly be described as premeditated murder and there are examples of offenders guilty of premeditated murder receiving a shorter sentence than Jennifer.
It is not known if the two male offenders who actually carried out the mugging ever intended to kill the victim or the exact location of Jennifer during the mugging.
Second question is who is responsible for a death caused by a firearm?
Isn’t the person who is in possession of the firearm the one who should be held responsible for whatever happens after he/she pulls the trigger?
In Jennifer’s case, she is guilty by association.
One may argue that she set this whole thing up but it was robbery which was her motive. The murder should have been treated as a separate crime altogether which she was not responsible for.
The prosecution has a lot to answer for in this case and does not seem to be made accountable for miscarriages of justice.
I have written to a number of US politicians about this and have not received even an acknowledgement from them but I will keep writing.
