187 (slang)

Section 187 (often referenced in slang simply as 187) of the California Penal Code defines the crime of murder. The number is commonly pronounced by reading the digits separately as "one-eight-seven", or "one-eighty-seven", rather than "one hundred and eighty-seven."

The number "187" has been used by gangs throughout the United States as a synonym for murder; this usage was recorded in Florida,[1] Wisconsin,[2] the United Kingdom,[3] and Germany[4]. It also features widely in hip-hop culture, for example in Dr. Dre's "Deep Cover."

California Penal Code Section 187

California Penal Code section 187, subdivision (a) defines murder as "the unlawful killing of a human being, or a fetus, with malice aforethought." Subdivision (b) states that subdivision (a) does not apply to any person who commits an act that results in the death of a fetus if any of the following apply: (1) The act complied with certain Health and Safety Code sections (the California Therapeutic Abortion Act) or (2) The act was committed by a holder of a physician's and surgeon's certificate, in a case where, to a medical certainty, the result of childbirth would be death of the mother of the fetus or where her death from childbirth, although not medically certain, would be substantially certain or more likely than not, or (3) The act was solicited, aided, abetted, or consented to by the mother of the fetus.[5]

In California, suspects are usually charged by reference to one or more Penal Code (PC) sections. Thus, the charging documents for a suspect charged with murder would be inscribed with "PC 187(a)" or just "PC 187." If a suspect is charged with attempted murder, then the relevant code would be "PC 664/187" because attempt is defined in Penal Code section 664.[6]

Under the California Uniform Bail Schedule, the standard bail for murder is $750,000.[6] The standard bail for first-degree murder with special circumstances (that is, circumstances under which the district attorney is seeking the death penalty) is "NO BAIL."[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Scarcella, Michael A. (13 August 2005). "Rival gangs shoot it out: Manatee cracks down as violence escalates". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. p. A1.
  2. ↑ Hall, Andy (19 June 2005). "A Primer on Local Gangs". Wisconsin State Journal. p. A12.
  3. ↑ Scheerhout, John (2 April 2012). ""You thought I was joking":Facebook fury of jealous knifeman who stabbed 74-year-old woman at Chorlton bus stop". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 15 May 2012.
  4. ↑ Article from Hamburger Morgenpost (German)
  5. ↑ "California Penal Code Section 187". California Penal Code. California State Legislature. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 For examples of this, see the Felony Bail Schedule, Superior Court of California, County of Santa Cruz.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.