Accomplice, in law, is a person who knowingly and intentionally joins with another in committing a crime. An accomplice may help to plan a crime, help in carrying it out, or otherwise advocate (speak in favor of) or assist in the crime before it happens. The concept of accomplice liability, holding a secondary person liable (responsible) for the criminal actions of a primary person who directly committed a crime, is rooted in English common law (see Common law ).
Traditionally, there were different levels of responsibility for accomplices. The type of accomplice with the greatest degree of responsibility was a principal in the first degree, which was someone who actually committed the crime. A principal in the second degree, someone who was physically present at the scene but who did not commit the crime, had a lesser degree of responsibility. Finally, an accessory before the fact had the least responsibility. An accessory before the fact had a desire for the crime to be committed, but he or she was not physically present at the crime scene. An Accessory after the fact is someone who became involved in a crime after it was committed. For instance, such a person may have helped a criminal to avoid arrest. Accessories after the fact are not usually considered accomplices, but they are still subject to punishment. Modern criminal laws often no longer distinguish between these different types of accomplices. However, the concept of accomplice liability remains firmly embedded in the law, allowing secondary parties to be tried and punished as principal offenders.
See also Conspiracy .
