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Case Citation
Legal Case Name

People v. Nelson Case Brief

California Court of Appeal2015Docket #62169421
240 Cal. App. 4th 488 192 Cal. Rptr. 3d 760 2015 Cal. App. LEXIS 810 Criminal Law Evidence

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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis

General Brief
3 min read

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.

People v. Nelson Law School Study Guide

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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

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IRAC Legal Analysis

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IRAC (Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion) is the exact format professors want to see in your exam answers. Our exclusive Flash-to-Full briefs combine holding, analysis, and rule statements formatted to match what A+ students produce in exams. These structured briefs help reinforce the essential legal reasoning patterns expected in law school.

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

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Flash Summary

  • A person can be convicted of solicitation of murder for asking
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 occaeca

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