Gov. Jared Polis signs felony murder, drug importation bills

Colorado. Gov. Jared Polis on Monday signed Senate Bill 124, which grants judges discretion in the sentence on a felony murder charge. This is an important step toward making felony murder charges more fair, especially for people in minority and marginalized groups.

Under current law, felony murder charges earns the defendant a sentence of life without the possibility of parole. Under SB 124, a judge can now decide on a sentence of between 16 and 48 years, depending on the severity of the related crime, which can include felony arson, robbery, burglary, kidnapping, sexual assault, including sexual assault on a child, and felony escape.

Polis noted during the signing ceremony that he had a clemency case before him where the person who committed the murder served their time and was released; but the person charged under the felony murder charge was still in prison. "I'm signing this bill because it makes the punishment fit the crime ... this bill will help return that balance." Read the rest of the article about felony murder changes here.