CRIMINAL LAW Sara Jane Olsen

Young actress is led into involvement in the SLA by a friend (1971)

→ 1974 her friend is killed in a police shoot out (during protest)

→ She gets more involved

  • helps with affairs, B, publicity

→ helps man purchase bomb materials

→ 2 attempted bombing of police cars

→ Her apartment has the traces of those bombs as well as weapons

1976: Indicted but she has fled to UN 1999: they find her and trial

  1. 3-7 years

  2. She was young + motivated by emotions

    • duty to her friends, not criminal motives. Statute of Limitations. Lack of knowledge of where bombs were going/doing.
  3. She evaded justice → purposeful and proves she understood her position. Active in org. → knew what they were doing.

  4. Cal. Penal Code Sect. 182-Punishment of Conspiracy - (1) + (5)

Sect. 189- Murder by Explosive Device

15 first degree (25 years-life, death)

Sect. 12303.2 → Ross. of Dest. Dev. (10+5 years)

  1. → attempted explosion (10+ years)

→ SLA is a violent group (murder, etc.)

→ She arranged a memorial and made comments against police

→ her finger prints on weapon

Possession of Destructive D.

Defense

→ what did she have? When did she do it?

Conduct: possession of destructive materials/davice

(knowledge/intent)

WLP: reckless, malicious

Prosecution

Conduct: just fingerprints ≠ pass.

WLP: might not know

Ampliquity

Possession Definition: under her

Control or strong connection (law)

→ No statute of common law so

Policy (Strict Const. or fair Import)

Retribution → bameworthiness

→ She held it → she attempted

or

She may not have passed

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