People v. Phillips
Supreme Court of California
414 P.2d 353 (1966)
Relevant factsFree
Phillips, a chiropractor (defendant), persuaded the parents of a child with terminal cancer to forgo surgery and pay $700 for his alternative treatment; the child died six months later. Phillips was convicted of felony murder on a theory that his fraud amounted to grand theft (a non-dangerous felony), and the child's death proximately resulted. He appealed.
IssueFree
Whether only felonies that are inherently dangerous to life may serve as the underlying felony for a felony-murder conviction.