The following opinion-editorial “Felony Murder is at Odds with Conservative Values” appears on the Substack page of Conservatives Concerned, and written by Demetrius Minor, Executive of Conservatives Concerned.
Excerpts from the op-ed appear below.
This week, I attended the National Convening to End Felony Murder in Chicago, where I had the opportunity to participate in a panel discussing the conservative case against felony murder. I was honored to share the work Conservatives Concerned has done to challenge this unjust practice because the more I engage with this issue, the clearer it becomes: felony murder is fundamentally at odds with our values.
Conservatives believe in individual responsibility. That means people should be held accountable for the crimes they personally commit—not for the actions of someone else. Yet felony murder does the exact opposite. It allows someone to be convicted of murder, and in some states sentenced to death, even if they neither killed anyone nor intended for anyone to die.
We also believe punishment should fit the crime. Our justice system rightly distinguishes between different levels of intent and culpability. Treating an unarmed lookout or getaway driver the same as the person who pulled the trigger ignores these important distinctions. It creates a system where vastly different conduct receives the same punishment, undermining the very idea of justice.
Felony murder also raises serious concerns about government power. As conservatives, we’re skeptical of giving the government broad authority, especially when it comes to the irreversible punishment of death. Felony murder dramatically expands prosecutors’ ability to seek the death penalty, often against individuals who were not the actual killers. In a capital punishment system already plagued by error, expanding the government’s reach should concern anyone who values limited government and due process.
Conservatives have long championed personal responsibility, proportional punishment, limited government, and equal justice under the law. Felony murder undermines every single one of these principles. It expands government power, blurs individual accountability, and ultimately erodes confidence in the justice system.
You can read the full op-ed “Felony Murder is at Odds with Conservative Values” at the Substack page for Conservatives Concerned. Conservatives Concerned is a network of political and social conservatives who question the alignment of capital punishment with conservative principles and values. Our programs include educating conservatives about the failed death penalty system and mobilizing them to bring about its end.
Demetrius Minor is the Executive Director, public face and primary spokesperson of Conservatives Concerned. In addition to his advocacy work, Demetrius is a Pentecostal minister and an accomplished author, having written ‘Preservation and Purpose: The Making of a Young Millennial and a Manifesto for Faith, Family, and Politics.’
