Accessories

Parties to a Crime: Accessories

Introduction to Accessories

An accessory before the fact is a party who aids or abets a crime or insists that a specified crime be committed but is not present at the scene at the time of the crime. Accessories before the fact or principals in the second degree are as responsible for the crime in question as the one who actually does the forbidden act. They are also responsible for any other crimes committed in the course of the commission of the crime in which they are involved, as long as the additional crimes were foreseeable.

An accessory after the fact is a party who, though not present at the commission of the crime, aids, receives, or comforts a wrongdoer, knowing that he or she has committed a crime, in order to help the wrongdoer avoid capture, conviction, or punishment. The assistance could be in the form of facilitating escape or destroying evidence of the crime.” (1)

Resources

Notes and References

• Information about Accessories in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia

Guide to Accessories

In this Section

Criminal Law Elements (including Wrongful Act and Mental Fault), Defenses to Crimes (including Insanity, Age, Intoxication, Duress, Mistake, Self-Defense and Entrapment) and Crime Parties (including Principals and Accessories).