{"id":10772,"date":"2023-12-01T08:00:54","date_gmt":"2023-12-01T15:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/criminal-defense-law\/?page_id=10772"},"modified":"2023-12-01T12:31:12","modified_gmt":"2023-12-01T19:31:12","slug":"accomplice-to-a-crime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/criminal-defense-law\/blog\/accomplice-to-a-crime\/","title":{"rendered":"Charges for Being an Accomplice to a Crime in Arizona"},"content":{"rendered":"
We all understand that those who commit crimes are charged for that offense.\u00a0 But what about the accomplices who assist others in committing crimes?<\/span><\/p>\n An accomplice to a crime can also be charged for their role in helping out, even if they didn\u2019t commit the crime directly, so it\u2019s important that they understand their rights and options if charged. This guide covers what exactly an accomplice is and what options you may have for defense if you\u2019ve been charged with being an accomplice to a crime in Arizona.<\/span><\/p>\n According to <\/span>A.R.S.13.301<\/span><\/a>, an accomplice in Arizona is defined as a person who intends to promote or facilitate an offense. In other words, an accomplice is anyone who assists another individual in a crime.<\/span><\/p>\n This individual can either solicit or command another person to commit a crime, aid another individual in planning a crime, and\/or provide an opportunity for that individual to commit a crime.<\/span><\/p>\n The accomplice doesn\u2019t directly carry out the crime itself. The person who commits the actual crime is known as the perpetrator. However, the accomplice does provide assistance in some form to make the crime happen. For example, an accomplice might purchase a weapon that is then used by the perpetrator in an armed robbery.<\/span><\/p>\n One common way to determine whether a person is an accomplice is to consider whether they were involved in a conspiracy to commit the crime. A conspiracy requires at least two people to agree to commit a crime and one of the actors to commit an overt act in furtherance of that crime.<\/span><\/p>\n If a person is found to have had a role in a conspiracy, they\u2019re likely to be considered an accomplice to the subsequent crime. However, a conspiracy involves more than just talking about committing a crime\u2014there must be a tangible plan or steps taken to further the act. To convict an accomplice, a lawyer must prove that they had an intent to support the crime.<\/span><\/p>\n Examples of conspiracy may include:<\/span><\/p>\n A person who did not commit a crime directly but had a role in assisting the perpetrator is considered either an accomplice or an accessory, which are two different classifications.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n An accomplice to a crime is someone who either assists, influences, or encourages a person to commit a crime. An accomplice is typically involved in a crime from the planning stages or in the act of committing the criminal act in some way.<\/span><\/p>\n An accessory is someone who doesn\u2019t have direct involvement in committing the crime but provides support to a perpetrator evading justice after the fact. Although an accessory doesn\u2019t have a role in committing the crime itself, they provide some kind of support to a suspected criminal afterward.<\/span><\/p>\n Some examples of actions an accomplice might take include:<\/span><\/p>\n Meanwhile, some actions an accessory to a crime might take include<\/span><\/p>\n The punishment of an individual depends on the crime committed and in what form the accomplice has helped. The punishment is typically based on the severity of the crime and how much influence the accomplice had on the outcome.<\/span><\/p>\n For example, if an individual drives a burglar of a bank away from the scene of the crime, that driver will be charged with <\/span>burglary<\/span><\/a> and is an accomplice to that crime (which is punishable with a prison sentence between three and 12 years).\u00a0 Though that person did not physically engage in the act of stealing money from the bank, the accomplice was still present at the scene and assisted with the crime.<\/span><\/p>\n According to <\/span>ARS.13.303-03<\/span><\/a>, an accomplice may be charged with criminal liability even if they weren\u2019t the main perpetrator, depending on the type of crime. The statute states a person may be charged under the following circumstances:<\/span><\/p>\n Punishment may also depend on precedent in past cases of a similar nature. A judge may consider the outcomes of other court cases as precedents when determining punishment for an accomplice and the perpetrator.<\/span><\/p>\n However, it was decided by the United States Supreme Court in <\/span>Enmund v. Florida<\/span><\/i> <\/a>in 1982 that an accomplice cannot be convicted of the death penalty if that individual did not take, attempt to take, or intend to take a life even if he or she is present at the <\/span>murder<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\nAccomplice Definition<\/h2>\n
What Is a Conspiracy?<\/h2>\n
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Accomplice vs. Accessory<\/h2>\n
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Punishment for an Accomplice in Arizona<\/h2>\n
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What About The Death Penalty?<\/h2>\n