accessory before the fact

An accessory before-the-fact is a  person who aids, abets , or encourages another to commit a crime but who is not present at the scene. An accessory before the fact, like an accomplice may be held criminally liable to the same extent as the principal . Many jurisdictions refer to an accessory before the fact as an accomplice.

See Evans v. State, 145 So. 3d 674 (Miss. 2014) ; accessory

[Last reviewed in January of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team ]

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