you're off the hook, right?

surely being helpful isn't a crime, it's in the boy scout motto

well there are crimes that cover being just a little too helpful

you can be charged as an accessory which is hilariously ironic

if you're part of a gang that steals belts and handbags

there are two kinds accessories, those who help before or during the crime

and those who help after the crime has already happened

accessories who help before or during the crime are also usually called principals

so how do you become this kind of accessory?

well, first you need the right intent

you need you intend for a crime to be committed and

also intend to assist in the commission of that crime

so, imagine that your friend is committing a burglary and you walk by

and decide to help then you would be an accessory

now if you see your friend carrying a TV and decide to help

and because that TV isn't his you help him steal it without realizing

that wouldn't make you an accessory because you didn't mean

for burglary to be committed or to assist with one

you're just dumb

the second thing you need to be an accessory is to aid in the crime

either before or during you don't actually have to commit it

just aid the person who does commit it you could buy the supplies

or you could drive the getaway car or you could even just

offer to assist, providing encouragement

to the person committing the crime, even if they don't use your help

as a matter a fact, you can even be an accessory

where the person committing the crime

doesn't know you're helping

or where your help isn't any help at all

its a different less serious offense to help someone after they've committed a crime

this is called being an accessory after the fact

the difference is that if you help someone commit a crime

you are guilty of that crime, if you help someone after they commit a crime

it's a different crime that doesn't rank is high and won't involve its harsh a

punishment when you're caught

some places merge this crime with the broader crime of obstructing justice

basically to be an accessory after the fact you need to help someone

who committed a felony, a category of more serious crimes

the difference is that the help comes after

the crime has been completed

this usually means after the criminal has left the crime scene

so hiding someone or lying to the police would both count

another crime that involves people working together is a conspiracy

this is where 2 or more people agree in advance to commit a crime

or help someone commit a crime

the conspirators have to take some step toward the crime

aside from just talking about it

and they have to agree to commit a specific crime

not just agree to be criminals

in some places you can even have a criminal conspiracy where one side

of the agreement doesn't actually mean to do their end of the deal

like when a cop is setting up a criminal

conspiracy is a big deal not so much for the crime itself

but because the conspirators are automatically liable

for every other crime committed by

any co-conspirators to accomplish the goal of the conspiracy

so if you join a huge bank robbing gang to drive the getaway car

and this happens, you're going to jail for murder

so conspiracy charges are an effective way to convict people for more crimes

and there you have it