People v. Rehkopf

The principal issue presented by these consolidated appeals concerns the elements of the statutory offense of inciting, inducing, or exhorting another person to commit murder.

I

Section 157b of the Penal Code provides that a person who "incites, induces or exhorts” another person to commit certain enumerated offenses, including murder, "shall be punished in the same manner as if he had committed the offense, incited, induced or exhorted.” 1 In each of the instant consolidated cases, the defendant was charged with violating § 157b under circumstances where the contemplated murder was not…