Last updated March 10, 2010
Aiding & Abetting/Accessory
Aiding and Abetting or being an accessory to a crime is a criminal charge. This charge implies that someone knowingly and willfully participated in a crime, or hid knowledge of a crime from the proper authorities. They may know about the crime before it takes place and fail to take steps to notify officials, or they may learn about the crime afterwards and keep silent. If you have been charged with Aiding and Abetting or being an accessory to a crime, you must speak with a criminal defense attorney immediately. This is a very serious charge and may even be upgraded to a more serious offense, depending upon the circumstances of your case, conspiracy. Aiding and Abetting involves being involved in a crime by offering assistance, money, or driving a get a way car. Being an accessory to a crime may mean that you helped plan, assist, or promote a crime, even if you weren’t bodily present at the time the crime took place. You must speak with a criminal defense attorney who can properly assess your case and explain the nature of the charges to you.
It’s important to know the difference between civil and criminal law and to clearly understand that a charge of Aiding and Abetting is a criminal charge. This means that the person being charged is being accused of committing a crime against the state. It is also knowledge that is the principle behind whether or not someone is guilty of Aiding and Abetting. If someone knows about a crime beforehand, and participates in, or does anything to help perpetrate the crime, they are aiding and abetting. In Aiding and Abetting cases, the person who is being charged must be shown to not only have known about the crime, but to have willfully participated or been involved in an activity that promoted the crime.
Since Aiding and Abetting or being an accessory to a crime are all criminal charges, it is important to speak with an attorney regarding the consequences. In most states, people who are convicted of Aiding and Abetting or Accessory may receive the same penalty as the perpetrator.
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