perpetrator
A perpetrator is a person who committed a crime .
In the instance of a joint crime (if more than 2 persons are involved in a crime) it is necessary to clarify the criminal liability and punishment among the defendants . The individual who did commit the crime is named as the “ first-degree principal ” according to the 18 U.S. Code §2 ; the person who did not commit the crime directly, but did offer any assistance to the perpetrator, is defined as the “ second-degree principal ” or “ accessory ”. There are two kinds of accessories, the “ accessory before-the-fact ” and the “ accessory after-the-fact ”. It is a clear rule that the punishment of an accessory after-the-fact shall not be more than one-half of the principal, according to the 18 U.S. Code §3 .
[Last reviewed in May of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team ]
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