Joseph Commits a Robbery of a Local Convenience Store, Killing

question 34

Essay

Joseph commits a robbery of a local convenience store, killing the store attendant in the process of the robbery. Joseph purposefully decided to walk to the convenience store from his cousin's apartment two blocks away. However, not wanting to leave a trail leading back to his cousin's apartment, Joseph works his way in the opposite direction to a well populated shopping center parking lot and waits until he sees a woman step into her vehicle and back out of the parking space. Knowing that the woman's car will not automatically lock the doors until the woman puts the car in drive, Joseph rushes to the victim's car and jerks open the passenger door. He points his gun at the victim and orders her to get out of the car. She screams and attempts to reach around to the back seat. Joseph, thinking she is reaching for a weapon shoots the woman and shoves her from the vehicle as he speeds away. The woman rolls under nearby shrub bushes, which means she is out of plain view of other shoppers. She is alive, but severely wounded. Joseph drives the car south on the interstate freeway to a lake near his home about 29 miles south of the shopping center. He drives the car to a cliff area overlooking the lake and jumps out of the car as it rolls toward an over the cliff. Joseph did not see the baby strapped in the car seat safely tucked away in the back seat. Sport divers later inadvertently discover the sunken vehicle and the body of the tiny toddler. The police eventually develop a case against Joseph. What charges will be filed against Joseph? Will he be charged with the murder of the baby even though he had no knowledge of the baby being in the vehicle?

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Definitions:

Parasympathetic System

A division of the autonomic nervous system responsible for conserving energy and promoting restful states by slowing the heart rate, increasing intestinal and gland activity, and relaxing sphincter muscles.

Sympathetic System

Part of the autonomic nervous system that activates the body's response to stress, preparing the body for action.

Endocrine System

A collection of glands that produce hormones which regulate metabolism, growth and development, tissue function, sexual function, reproduction, sleep, and mood, among other things.

Motivational Tension

A psychological condition where an individual feels compelled to act due to a perceived discrepancy between their current state and their desired state.