Jackson v. State

The issue for decision is whether the accidental killing of a hostage by a law enforcement officer attempting to apprehend robbers fleeing from an armed robbery while holding the hostage at gunpoint constitutes murder in the first degree on the part of the robbers under the Maryland felony murder statute. We hold that it does.

The issue stems from the contention of each of William Henry Jackson and James Wells, Jr. on direct appeal to the Court of Special Appeals that his plea of guilty of the murder in the first degree of Bernard Sugar was accepted by the Circuit Court for Worcester County 1…