Expect To Receive An Accessory Charge If You Contributed To A Burglary In Any Of These Ways
People often make the mistake of thinking that, because they didn't physically commit a crime, they won't face any legal consequences. An individual with this mentality may be surprised to find the police knocking on his or her door. Being charged as an accessory to a crime can be serious, especially if the crime was serious. Even for misdemeanor offenses, you may risk getting a criminal record all because of contributing to someone else's crime to some degree. If you've had a friend who has been charged with burglary, here are some ways that you could end up being charged as an accessory.
You Suggested The Target
Upon your friend getting arrested, he or she might be eager to talk about your role in the crime as a way of perhaps negotiating leniency. Even if you weren't physically present when your friend committed the burglary, you may be charged as an accessory if you suggested the target. For example, if your friend can show proof of a text message that involves you, you could face legal consequences. Maybe you wrote, "I know that you're short on money. I just noticed that my neighbor two doors down bought a new 70-inch TV." The state may view this text message as a suggestion to your friend to steal the TV, thus making you involved.
You Stored Some Of The Items
It's possible that your friend came to you after committing a burglary and needed a place to store the items. Knowing that these items were stolen should be enough to compel you to steer clear of the entire situation, but you might have helped by storing some of the stolen goods in your home for a short period of time. For example, in the stolen TV scenario, your friend may have lacked the space to hide such a large TV, and thus asked you to keep it in your garage until finding a buyer.
You Drove The Suspect
Another potential way of contributing to the crime and thus being charged as an accessory is that you drove the suspect to or from the scene of the crime. Perhaps in a moment of weakness you wanted to help out the person, despite knowing that his or her plan was illegal. For example, since the person would be unlikely to steal a large TV and carry it down the street, you might have helped drive the suspect and the TV away from the scene. A criminal defense attorney can help you to fight the charge of being an accessory to any crime.
Contact a company like The Fitzpatrick Law Firm for more information.
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