People v. Nelson Case Brief
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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis
tl;dr: A man asked his friend to get a “two-for-one deal” from a hitman to kill his estranged wife. The court affirmed his conviction for solicitation of murder, holding that soliciting an intermediary to hire a killer constitutes the crime of solicitation.
Legal Significance: This case establishes that the crime of solicitation of murder includes soliciting an intermediary to find and hire a third-party perpetrator. The solicitation does not need to be made directly to the person who would ultimately commit the target offense.
Case Facts & Court Holding
Key Facts & Case Background
Defendant Eric Scott Nelson was undergoing a contentious divorce. His friend, Laura Tatarzyn, mentioned the idea of hiring a hitman to kill her own boyfriend. Subsequently, Nelson repeatedly asked Tatarzyn for the hitman’s contact information to “take care of” his wife. When Tatarzyn told Nelson she was going to Tijuana to arrange her own matter, Nelson responded, “You should ask for a two-for-one deal.” Tatarzyn reported this to the police and agreed to cooperate. She recorded a conversation where Nelson confirmed he was “willing to go through with it the whole way.” Tatarzyn then gave Nelson the phone number of an undercover officer, Juan Anguiano, who was posing as the hitman. In a recorded call, Nelson confirmed to Anguiano that he had a “job” for him and agreed to meet with a photograph, an address, and a $300 down payment. Nelson only cancelled the meeting after his girlfriend threatened to end their relationship if he proceeded. Nelson was convicted of solicitation of murder under Penal Code § 653f, subd. (b).
Court Holding & Legal Precedent
Issue: Does soliciting a person to find and hire a third party to commit murder satisfy the statutory elements for the crime of solicitation of murder?
Yes. The court held that soliciting an intermediary to hire a third Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute ir
IRAC Legal Analysis
About IRAC analysis
IRAC (Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion) is the structure professors expect in exam answers. Each LSD.Law brief states the issue, the governing rule with citations, the court's application of that rule, and the conclusion - the same reasoning pattern you will use on exams and in practice.
Legal Issue
Does soliciting a person to find and hire a third party to commit murder satisfy the statutory elements for the crime of solicitation of murder?
Conclusion
This case clarifies that the crime of solicitation in California encompasses indirect Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad
Legal Rule
Under California Penal Code § 653f, subd. (b), a person is guilty Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in vo
Legal Analysis
The court's analysis focused on the scope of the actus reus for Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit a
Flash-to-Full Case Opinions
Flash Summary
- A person can be convicted of solicitation of murder for asking