Colorado lawmakers consider changes to state’s felony murder law

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- A new bill in the Colorado legislature aims to change the way some murder charges are filed.

The bill, proposed by Sen. Pete Lee (D-Colorado Springs), would reduce penalties under Colorado's current Felony Murder law.

"Under the current law in Colorado, a person can be considered guilty of first degree murder, felony murder, if anyone dies in the course of the commission of a robbery," Lee said.

This means a person can be charged, even if they were not directly responsible for the victim's death.

If passed, the new legislation would reduce the penalty for felony murder from life in prison without parole to anywhere between 16 to 48 years in prison.

Lee said his goal is to make the punishment proportional with the seriousness of the crime for each defendant involved, citing a two-person robbery as one example.

"The person who used the weapon and killed someone is guilty of felony murder. But, so is the person sitting in the car."

Opponents argue reducing the sentence could have the opposite effect on deterring these types of crimes. However, Lee dissagrees.

"Most criminals don't think they're going to get caught and most criminals don't know what the penalties are."

According to data compiled by legislature council staff, at least 42 people have been convicted of felony murder in Colorado between 2017 to 2020.

The bill recently passed committee in a vote of 4-1. It heads to the full Senate for a vote early next week.