accomplice

An accomplice is a person who knowingly participates in the planning, execution, or facilitation of a crime committed by another. An accomplice assists, abets, or encourages the other person with the intent to help achieve the criminal result. This role is distinct from the principal offender, who directly commits the prohibited act, and from an accessory after the fact, who helps the offender after the crime has been completed to avoid capture or punishment.

In most legal systems, accomplice liability requires intent to assist the crime and knowledge that the aiding will promote the offense. The mere presence at a crime scene is typically not enough to establish liability unless combined with participation or encouragement. The scale of punishment for an accomplice can be the same as that for the principal offender in many jurisdictions, though some systems impose lesser penalties or separate offenses.

Examples of accomplice conduct include providing tools, weapons, or transportation; planning or coordinating the crime; acting as a lookout; or helping to conceal or dispose of evidence. The key element is purposeful assistance or encouragement that advances the criminal objective.

Related concepts include complicity, abetment, conspiracy, and the distinctions between accomplices before the fact (those who aid in planning) and after the fact (those who assist after the crime). Etymologically, the term reflects someone who shares in the offense or helps bring it about.