Jennifer needs your help
Written by R. A. Stewart
Jennifer Mee was convicted of first degree murder but it was a murder she did not carry out herself or one
which there was no intent or premeditation involved.
How is this so you may be wondering.
In Florida if someone dies as a result of another crime such as robbery then all participants are equally
guilty of the death irrespective of the part they played.
Here is a summary of the case:
In 2010 Jennifer, then aged 19, agreed to go out on a date with a young man she had contacted on
Facebook. Jennifer’s motive was robbery, not romance, and with the help of two male friends she tried to
rob her date, however, in the struggle he was fatally shot.
Under Florida law, all participants in a fatal robbery are equally guilty of first degree murder. This is
known as the “Felony rule.”
There is no room for discretion in the application of this rule. One is either guilty of it or not.
Intent or lack of it is not taken into consideration as it should be which means someone who may be just
an associate or companion of the one who pulled the trigger can be convicted of the same crime as the one
who committed the actual murder.
What this means is someone who was just a casual observer of the crime may end up receiving a life
without the possibility of parole for a murder committed by someone else.
This is exactly what happened to Jennifer; she received a life without the possibility of parole sentence.
There was no intent or premeditation to kill in Jennifer’s case and nothing was said in the trial which
suggests otherwise.
The question of who is responsible for the discharge of a firearm is another factor which needs to be
addressed. Whoever is in possession of a firearm should bear the responsibility for the consequences
arising from it’s discharge.
Here is an example of the “Felony rule” if it were applied to traffic laws.
Just imagine the uproar if a drunk driver causes a fatal automobile accident and all of his passengers were
charged with the same crime.
Just with firearms, it is the one in the driver’s seat who is responsible for keeping within the traffic laws.
There are several people who have and still are campaigning for Jennifer but it is an uphill struggle and the
lack of response or acknowledgment of correspondence can be disheartening but if you have read this far
then maybe, just maybe you will spare a few moments to fill out the petition at the bottom of this page.
If you have a printed copy of this article, you will find the online petition on:
www.freejennifer.blogspot.com
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