People v. Patterson
Supreme Court of California
778 P.2d 549 (1989)
Relevant factsFree
Sandy Patterson (defendant) furnished cocaine to two women; one of them, Jennie Licerio, died of acute cocaine intoxication. Patterson was charged with murder on a second-degree felony-murder theory, with furnishing cocaine as the underlying inherently dangerous felony. The trial court dismissed the murder charge for lack of probable cause, the court of appeal affirmed, and the prosecution sought review.
IssueFree
Whether felony murder is a homicide that is the direct causal result of the commission of a felony that is inherently dangerous to human life.