Have You Been Charged as an Accessory to a Crime?

If you are being accused of being an accessory before the fact, this means you are suspected of aiding, abetting or inciting the commission of a crime. For instance, if you willingly let John drive your car to the jewelry store knowing he was going to rob it when he got there, you are considered an accessory before the fact.

An accessory after the fact is someone who aids the principal by giving them shelter, financial aid, help escaping or something of that nature. You can also be charged as an accessory after the fact if you do not report a crime you know has occurred. If you even supply emotional support or encouragement to someone you know has committed a crime, you could be charged as an accessory. Any action on your part that helped a criminal evade detection or avoid law enforcement can be construed as wrongdoing.

There are some exceptions to the rule. Usually an immediate relative, such as a spouse, parent, grandparent, sibling or child of a felon will not be charged as an accessory to a crime.

Being charged as an accessory and being charged with conspiracy are two different things. A conspirator is person who agreed with another party to commit a crime. They might or might not be at the scene of the crime, but they did participate in the planning of the crime. Conspiracy is usually considered a more serious charge than being charged as an accessory.

It is possible to be charged as both a conspirator and an accessory.

Being charged as an accessory is a serious offense and the punishment varies according to the gravity of the crime. Being an accessory to murder, for instance, will earn more severe penalties than being charged as an accessory to blackmail.

In the most part, accessories can receive the same punishment as the person who actually committed the crime. If the crime was a felony, you could be facing felony charges as well.

Just because you did not actually commit a crime does not mean you cannot be charged with one. Being charged as an accessory to a crime is a serious situation and you need serious help. Call an experienced criminal defense attorney as soon as possible and put their expertise to work for you.