People v. Smith
California Supreme Court
35 Cal. 3d 798, 678 P.2d 886 (1984)
- Written by Sara Rhee, JD
Facts
Smith (defendant) lived with her two-year-old daughter. Her daughter one day refused to listen to Smith. In response, Smith took her daughter to the corner and began hitting her repeatedly. Smith knocked her daughter against a closet door and the daughter went into respiratory arrest. She died at the hospital. Smith was convicted of child abuse and second-degree murder based on a theory of felony-murder.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Mosk, J.)
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