Accomplice Liability

An accomplice to a crime is a person who assists another in the commission of a crime. That assistance can occur before the commission of a crime, after the commission of a crime, or during the commission of a crime.

A person who is charged as an accomplice to a crime can be held vicariously liable for the commission of the crime. If a defendant is charged with a vicarious liability crime, the charge can be the same charge as though he had completed the crime, even if he did not assist during the commission of the crime.

Today, under a majority of state statutory laws, an accomplice is charged with the completed crime.

Accomplice Roles

A person who commits a crime or uses a third party to commit a crime is a principal in the first degree. A person who assists the principal in committing the crime and who is at the scene of the crime when it is committed in a principal in the second degree. A person who aids a person in completing a crime before the fact, but who is not present when the crime is committed is an accessory before the fact. And lastly, a person who aids a known felon after the commission of a crime is an accessory after the fact. For more information about vicarious liability, refer to vicarious liability, the principals and accessories of crime.

Free Initial Consultation

If you are under investigation for having been an accomplice to a crime, if you have been arrested for being an accomplice to a crime, or if you have already been convicted for having been an accomplice to a crime, please contac the attorneys at Van Wagner & Wood for a brief first impression analysis of your case. Initial consultations with a person who is under investigation for a crime, who has been charged with a crime or who has been convicted of a crime are free, as are consultations with people who are seeking to hire an attorney for another person.

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