Thompson v. Washington

Thompson v. Washington, 434 U.S. 898 (1977), was a case dismissed by the Supreme Court of the United States for lack of federal question jurisdiction.[1]

Thompson v. Washington
Decided October 17, 1977
Full case nameThompson v. Washington
Citations434 U.S. 898 (more)
98 S. Ct. 290; 54 L. Ed. 2d 185; 1977 U.S. LEXIS 3607
Holding
Appeal from Sup. Ct. Wash. dismissed for want of substantial federal question.
Court membership
Chief Justice
Warren E. Burger
Associate Justices
William J. Brennan Jr. · Potter Stewart
Byron White · Thurgood Marshall
Harry Blackmun · Lewis F. Powell Jr.
William Rehnquist · John P. Stevens

Background edit

The case was on appeal from the Supreme Court of Washington, and it involved a second degree murder conviction based on the felony murder rule.[2]

Subsequent developments edit

Thompson v. Washington was cited in the later Washington case State v. Wanrow, 91 Wash.2d 301 (1978), as an endorsement of the constitutionality of the felony murder rule.[3]

References edit

  1. ^ Thompson v. Washington, 434 U.S. 898 (1977).
  2. ^ State v. Thompson, 88 Wash.2d 13 (1977)
  3. ^ Bonnie, R.J. et al. Criminal Law, Second Edition. Foundation Press, New York, NY: 2004, p. 875