Legal Definitions - conspiracy

Conspiracy is when two or more people agree to do something illegal and plan to achieve their goal. In most places in the United States, there also needs to be an action taken towards the illegal act. This is called an "overt act."

If someone is part of a conspiracy, they can be punished even if they didn't directly do anything illegal. This is called "derivative liability." This means that if someone in the conspiracy does something illegal to help the group, everyone in the conspiracy can be punished for it.

Conspiracy can be punished on its own, or it can be punished along with the illegal act that was planned. For example, if someone conspired to rob a bank, they could be punished for both the conspiracy and the robbery.

Conspiracy can be used for both criminal and civil offenses. For example, someone could conspire to commit murder or to commit fraud.

• A group of people plan to rob a bank. They agree on a plan and each person has a specific role. They also take steps towards carrying out the plan, like buying weapons and practicing their escape route. This is an example of conspiracy.
• Two people agree to cheat on a test. They plan to share answers and help each other during the test. This is also an example of conspiracy, even though cheating on a test is not a criminal offense.

These examples illustrate how conspiracy involves planning and agreeing to do something illegal or against the rules. It also shows how even if someone doesn't directly do something illegal, they can still be punished for being part of the plan.