Legal Definitions - accomplice liability

Accomplice liability refers to the legal responsibility of a person who aids, abets, or assists another person in committing a crime. This means that if someone helps another person commit a crime, they can be held liable for that crime as well.

For example, if a person drives the getaway car for a bank robber, they can be charged with accomplice liability for the robbery. Similarly, if a person helps someone else sell drugs, they can be charged with accomplice liability for drug trafficking.

Accomplice liability is a form of secondary liability, which means that it only applies if the primary offender is found guilty of the crime. The accomplice can be charged with the same crime as the primary offender or with a lesser offense.