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accessory legal definition
noun
- Additional; aiding the principal design; contributory; secondary; subordinate; supplemental.
- One who aids or contributes to the commission or concealment of a crime or assists others in avoiding apprehension for the crime but not present when the crime was committed. Mere silence or approval of the crime is insufficient to make one an accessory; the person must take steps to facilitate the commission or concealment of the crime or the avoidance of the criminalÂ’s capture. See also misprision of felony, accomplice, aid and abet, conspiracy, and principal.
accessory after the fact
One who was not at the scene of a crime but knowingly
assists, comforts, or receives a person known to have committed a crime or to
be sought for the commission or attempted commission of a crime, in an attempt
to hinder or prevent the felonÂ’s arrest or punishment. Such a person is
normally regarded as less culpable than the criminal and is subject to
prosecution for obstruction
of justice.
accessory before the fact
One who assists, commands, counsels, encourages, or
procures another to commit a crime, but is not present when the crime is
committed. Such a person, known as an aider and abettor, is normally considered
as culpable as the person who actually commits the crime and is normally
treated by the law as an accomplice. See also aid and abet.
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