What would you choose? Integrity vs Truth vs Real Life

What would you do in this situation?

You and a friend rob a bank, you both have a sidearm pistol. During the robbery your accomplice grabs your gun and shoots and kills a guard. You get caught...

Due to conflicting witness reports, a police botch up on the Miranda reading, and faulty cameras you're faced with the following choice:

A) Misdemeanor breaking and entering with one year in prison and a publicly available police report stating you killed a guard.

B) Bring forth a video tape you're in possession of which shows your friend pulled the trigger, thereby providing the evidence to force a 5-year felony Bank Robbery sentence on yourself, but clearing your name of the murder.

Which would you choose? and why?

reply to post by Thermo Klein


It's an interesting moral brain-teaser. But my overall problem with such puzzles is that the premise alone makes my answer inadmissible. I would never rob a bank and the instant one of my buddies was serious about robbing a rank, that would be the end of our contact.

But, just for the sake of your thread...I have always been one to uphold truth no matter what. Thus, I pick option B. I did not murder anyone and have the video evidence to prove it. I will face the consequences of my actions so long as the truth passes my own lips.

Again...the whole premise is flawed. After that answer above, do I really sound like a bank robber? Do I sound like a murder-burglar? Oh well, I tried.

reply to post by Thermo Klein


First off, I wouldn't put myself in a position where I was robbing a bank.
The odds of pulling one off successfully in the US are not very good.

But otherwise, I would take the blame for killing the guard and go on my way. Either way a violent crime goes on your record. I would rather not spend 5 years in prison. Prison is not an entertaining place to be.

reply to post by Thermo Klein

Neither. I'd get a better lawyer and wiggle out of it completely. Maybe not the most upstanding thing to to but better than either sitting in jail for a year with a murder on your back or snitching out your friend plus sitting in jail for an even longer stretch. A really good lawyer will produce witnesses who saw the event and prove you didn't kill anyone, and a really smart defendant will produce a tight alibi.

reply to post by Thermo Klein

A) Misdemeanor breaking and entering with one year in prison and a publicly available police report stating you killed a guard.

Of the two options... Probably get even less with good behavior and prison overpopulation.

Thermo Klein
...
You and a friend rob a bank, you both have a sidearm pistol. During the robbery your accomplice grabs your gun and shoots and kills a guard. You get caught...
... you're faced with the following choice:

A) Misdemeanor breaking and entering with one year in prison and a publicly available police report stating you killed a guard.

B) Bring forth a video tape you're in possession of which shows your friend pulled the trigger, thereby providing the evidence to force a 5-year felony Bank Robbery sentence on yourself, but clearing your name of the murder.
...

B&E is NOT a lesser-included of robbery, assault or murder; so, not a likely scenario. Proof of the elements of robbery does not prove the elements of B&E. Therefore, you can safely go to trial, you are not guilty of B&E. At the close of the State's evidence, you can move for a "directed verdict" and the Court will instruct the jury to acquit you.

You cannot "undo" a video, police report, witness statement, or your conscience; so you will always be an accomplice to murder and a thief.