As highlighted by the United States penal code, murder is classified as a crime. Whether it is in the first degree, second or third, it is still a crime that is punishable by law. In addition, armed robbery is a felony that is considered serious in nature because it poses a danger to the victims. In addition, murder can be classified into instigated murder under manslaughter. Criminal acts are acts that are against the law. The criminal act in question is a case that involved the murder of two store owners during a robbery incident in a Chicago store. The robbery was done by a man called Michael Malloy. The late convict murdered the two victims, a man and his daughter, who owned the store. The victims had no personal relationship with their killer and were just regular store owners. The offender had been previously convicted of drug charges, where he had been found in possession of drugs that he was believed to be selling. The events occurred in the wake of February 1999, at around 10.30 pm. where the offender had gone into the store and demanded money. The store owner tried to call 911 because he was not aware that the offender was armed. He was shot repeatedly and mercilessly so, shot in the chest, and his daughter’s screams led the late Michael to her in the adjacent room. He shot her twice in her stomach and made his escape with a few hundred dollars. He was arrested in his home, and his trial commenced in august that year. The victimization was the loss to the family of the victims. In this case, the victims died immediately leaving no survivors to tell the story.
The complaint was made through witnesses at a bar across the street who had heard the shooting and called 911.The witnesses did not see any of the events that took place and only heard the shooting. The offender was fast in his escape. It was a surveillance video in the store that led to the subsequent uncovering of the events that took place in that night. The investigation centered on the identification of the offender who wore a black hood at the time of the incident. Even so, the investigation, which was carried out by Chicago Police department, discovered fingerprints of the crime perpetrator on the counter of the store. The fingerprints were identified as Michael Malloy’s and proved to be a substantially important move for the case. The detectives in the Chicago police department also relied on the evidence established by forensics that identified the type of bullet used and traced its way to a place that illegally sold guns to drug traffickers. The investigation took a short time to come up with a conclusive case regarding the facts surrounding the case. The hunt for Michel ensued immediately after the detectives had enough evidence. A warrant of arrest was issued, and he was later spotted at a fast food joint through a tip from a citizen. Michael surrendered upon the arrival of the police after initial attempts to run failed. The criminal charges included armed robbery and murder in the second degree. In addition, he was charged with illegally obtaining a gun. The offender took a no guilty plea. Even though Michael was a black man, the usual protocol was followed from the time he was arrested until his conviction. He was afforded the same rights as any other suspected. He had a right to counsel and was taken through a fair trial that was centered on the evidence presented.
The crime in question can be classified to being a felony. Felonies are criminal acts that are extremely serious in nature, whose punishment exceeds a year in prison (Langan, Patrick, 1). Felonies are more serious that misdemeanors, and usually involve violence or cause direct or indirect harm. Felonies are classified into degrees, and the murder in this case falls under class A felonies. In addition, the armed robbery falls under class E of felonies under the United States. Misdemeanors are crimes that are minute in nature and would warrant a jail term of less than a year. Such crimes include petty theft. The above case, therefore, has crimes that fall under felonies.
In this case, the Jury performed an indictment. They passed an indictment based on the prosecutor’s presentation of the evidence. The evidence, in this case, fundamentally concluded beyond reasonable doubt that Malloy caused the crimes he was of which accused. They voted to return an indictment, which essentially refers to a jury’s decision to charge the accused with the alleged crimes. The case of Malloy was established to have probable cause, and the jury, therefore, ruled against him.
The case was heard and ruled upon in the State Court, because its nature. The jurisdiction of the State courts is what determines the cases it hears. State courts are broad in terms what they can hear, and are, therefore, citizen-oriented. They hear cases in which citizens are the aggrieved parties, which amount to robberies. The crimes in state courts start with preliminary hearings, where the evidence is presented. After a brief examination of the case, it is determined whether the accused has a case to answer. Thereafter, it proceeds to the main trial where the defense counsel represents the case to the best of his ability. The process involves the incorporation of witness evidence from both sides. The case is presented before a grand Jury, which hears all matters that relate to felonies in state courts. The Jury then comes up with a verdict that will either acquit or convict the felon. Most crimes that are under the violations of state laws are handled with the state courts (Little, Laura, 430). Federal courts are mostly centered on cases that directly involve the United States. In addition, they handle crimes that directly involve the breaking of federal law. Therefore, the above explains why the case was decided by a state court and not federal court.
The jury ruled on a guilty plea. The accused person was found guilty of armed robbery that consequentially led to the death of two people. He was sentenced to life imprisonment. His previous conduct was taken into consideration, and the fact that the people he shot were unarmed. The convict later died in prison under the attack of a fellow inmate, after serving three years.
Works cited
Langan, Patrick A, and Richard Solari. National Judicial Reporting Program, 1990. Washington: Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1993. Print.
Little, Laura E. Federal Courts. Austin: Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, 2006. Print.
