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Aiding and Abetting

Under the common law doctrine of aiding and abetting, a person is considered to be a principal to a crime when:

(1)  a crime is committed by another,

(2)  the person knowingly advises, instigates, encourages, procures, or helps the other person commit the crime, and

(3)  his or her actions or statements caused or contributed to the commission of the crime by the other person.

State v. Goode, 350 N.C. 247 (1999). Aiding and abetting is not a separate crime; rather, it merely describes a person’s participation in a crime. As a general rule, aiding and abetting becomes an issue when it is not clear whether the defendant committed any part of the crime.

Typically, a person who aids or abets a crime is guilty of that crime and is punishable as provided for that crime. However, a few criminal statutes punish aiding and abetting at a lower level. See, e.g., G.S. 14-46 (providing that the main crime is punished as a Class I felony, while aiding and abetting the crime is a Class 1 misdemeanor).

Some of the more common questions that I get asked about aiding and abetting are listed below. If you have others, let me know.

1. Can you get an aiding and abetting conviction before the principal in the first degree is convicted? Yes. The principal in the first degree need not be convicted before a person can be found guilty of aiding and abetting that principal. State v. Beach, 282 N.C. 261, 269 (1973) (citing State v. Jarrell, 141 N.C. 722 (1906)); State v. Williams, 28 N.C. App. 320, 323 (1976). However, the State must establish that the crime in fact was committed. Beach, 283 N.C. at 269; State v. Cassell, 24 N.C. App. 717, 722 (1975).

2. Is a mental state required for aiding and abetting a strict liability crime? Yes. As discussed in my blog post here, because aiding and abetting requires that the defendant act knowingly, when the defendant is prosecuted as an aider and abettor to a strict liability crime, a mental state is required. See, e.g., Bowman, 188 N.C. App. at 649 (“[a]lthough statutory rape is a strict liability crime, aiding and abetting statutory rape is not”; the trial court erred by denying the defendant’s request for an instruction that defendant had to know the age of the victims in order to be convicted of aiding and abetting statutory rape).

3. Does the defendant have to be present when the crime is committed? No. Even if the defendant is not immediately present, he or she can be convicted if the defendant stands by in a position in which he or she can help, and the principal in the first degree knows that. State v. McKinnon, 306 N.C. 288 (1982).

4. Is mere presence enough? Mere presence at the crime scene does not make the defendant an aider and abettor, even if the defendant has an intent to assist; to be guilty, the defendant must aid or actively encourage the person committing the crime or communicate to that person in some way his or her intention to assist. State v. Lucas, 353 N.C. 568 (2001); Goode, 350 N.C. 247. The communication or intent to aid does not have to be by express words; it may be inferred from the defendant’s actions and relation to the perpetrator. Goode, 350 N.C. 247. One exception to the rule that mere presence isn’t enough for aiding and abetting is when the bystander is a friend of the perpetrator and knows that his or her presence will be regarded by the perpetrator as encouragement and protection. Lucas, 353 N.C. 568; Goode, 350 N.C. 247.

5. Can an omission ever be the basis of an aiding and abetting charge? Yes. Cases have held that the failure of a parent who is present to take all steps reasonably possible to protect the parent’s child from attack or sexual assault by another person constitutes an act of omission by the parent showing the parent’s consent and contribution to the crime and thus is sufficient to support a conviction based on aiding and abetting. State v. Walden, 306 N.C. 466 (1982); State v. Ainsworth, 109 N.C. App. 136 (1993).

6. Can a defendant be convicted if the principal is acquitted? North Carolina law is not entirely clear as to the effect of an acquittal of the principal on an aider and abettor’s conviction. Some cases suggest that if the principal and the aider and abettor are tried separately, the defendant may be convicted of aiding and abetting even if a principal in the first degree is acquitted. State v. Beach, 283 N.C. 261, 268-69 (1973) (conviction as an aider and abettor was valid when the indictment alleged that the defendant aided and abetted “an unknown party” and the principal was acquitted in a separate trial); State v. Witt, 113 N.C. 716 (1983) (rejecting the defendant’s argument that the trial judge improperly instructed the jury that the principal’s prior acquittal should not affect its determination as to the defendant’s guilt or innocence of aiding and abetting). Distinguishing this law, however, at least one case has held that if the indictment names a principal, the defendant may not be convicted of aiding and abetting if the named principal is acquitted in a separate trial. State v. Byrd, 122 N.C. App. 497, 498-99 (1996).

If the principal and the aider and abettor are tried jointly, at least one court of appeals case suggests that acquittal of the principal does not bar a conviction of the aider and abettor. Byrd, 122 N.C. App. at 498. Other decisions, however, including those of the North Carolina Supreme Court, hold that an aider and abettor’s conviction is improper in these circumstances. See State v. Spruill, 214 N.C. 123, 125 (1938) (aiding and abetting could not support the defendant’s manslaughter conviction, arising out of a vehicle accident; the vehicle was owned by the defendant but driven by the principal, who was acquitted in a joint trial); State v. Gainey, 273 N.C. 620, 623 (1968) (citing Spruill and holding that because the evidence was insufficient to support the principal’s conviction for carrying a concealed weapon, the conviction of others for aiding and abetting also must fail); State v. Austin, 31 N.C. App. 20, 24 (1976) (“Where there is insufficient evidence to convict a specifically named principal defendant of the crime charged, another person may not be convicted of aiding and abetting him.”); State v. Spencer, 18 N.C. App. 499, 499 (1973) (in a case in which the principal and the aider and abettor were tried jointly but appealed separately, the court noted that a new trial had been ordered on the principal’s conviction; citing Gainey, it went on to indicate that if the principal is not convicted in the new trial, the aider and abettor’s conviction cannot stand).

7. Is a conviction barred if the principal pleads to a lesser offense? At least one case suggests that the answer to this question is no. In State v. Cassell, 24 N.C. App. 717 (1975), the court held that a principal’s guilty plea to voluntary manslaughter did not invalidate the defendant’s conviction in a separate trial as an aider and abettor to second-degree murder. The court reasoned that although the State allowed the principal to plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter before the defendant’s trial, the plea “did not . . . determine that the crime of second[-]degree murder had not been committed.” Id. at 722.

14 thoughts on “Aiding and Abetting”

  1. i will put this in a simple way of comprehending. if YOU are with anyone to commits a crime in anyway shape or form rather it be robbing a bank or stealing a peice of gum even though your “bestfriend” or big hommie is doing the crime and your just there for the “ride” your going to prison regardless if you have a bad record or if your the pope it does NOT matter. the justice system is extremely corrupt my fellow patrions so take my advice when i say. choose your friends wisely….

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    • So I have Aiden and abetting larceny and a paraphernalia charge or two what’s my chances of going to jail and for how long

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  2. My wife was charged with DUI first offence. she has a Clean record. I was charged with aiding and abetting. I was black out drunk. Just over done it at my birthday party. I bowed a 21. How can I be charged when I did not knowingly get in the car. I don’t remember anything from the last drink to the next morning not even the ride to the court house or home. The trooper told the wife he had to charge me because the vehicle was in both our names.

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  3. I am currently working a gang related shooting. I’ve identified five subjects in a vehicle, identified the driver, but unclear as to seating of the other four and/or who shot the gun out the window in a driveby (no one it, a car window of a parked unoccupied car shot out). The driver named the shooter, but refuses to testify. Do I have Probable Cause to charge everyone in the car with ADW/Gun Misdemeanor and/or Aid/Abet Misdemeanor as no one contacted authorities, true to their gang affiliation.

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  4. Probably not. Can you find a magistrate who will give you PC? Probably. But speaking as someone who has handled a case almost exactly like that, I can tell you it creates nothing but headaches because it ultimately cannot be proven by admissible evidence at trial. Call your DA’s office and screen the case before you charge anything.

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  5. my boyfriend was driving my car with no license. he pulled into my driveway and under the garage, parked car and got out and started to walk towards house. several minutes later an officer pulled into driveway, arrested him for dwlr, charged me with aiding and abetting and had my car impounded from my garage/driveway.
    I had no choice but to let him drive the car, its either let him drive or get my ass beat!!! since this happened boyfriend is now in prison for beating me. everytime I had to go to court on this ticket DA puts it off cause of boyfriends pending case, now its done and hes gone to prison. what can they do to me now on the aiding and abetting ticket???? I don’t think I should have been charged to begin with. I do not have a record at all. so whats gonna happen??????

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  6. My house was recently burned down and the cause was arson. There is a very strong suspect that has not been arrested yet. The suspects family is very much aware, and may be trying to cover for their adult child. Also, the husband of the a alleged arsonist may be covering up as well.

    If this person is found guilty, can the family be charged with aiding and abetting the individual they are covering up for. I live in North Carolina.

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  7. As an addition to my post, one of the officer’s just returned to my house and told me that the judge in my husband’s case wanted the officer to come back and arrest me for aiding and abetting, but he had let the judge know that I was unaware that I had been committing a crime by allowing my husband to stay on my property. He let me know that I would have served a 30-day sentence for the aiding and abetting charge. So, I’d like to know, which is true? That you can be arrested, charged and convicted, or that you can’t?

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  8. I was charged with aiding and betting n a case against my kids father he has been in jail for 6 months on fed charges he is taking all the charges because I had no idea he was taking a tag from someones car could charges be dropped against me?

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  9. I’m a cop. My kid had a sleepover while I was on duty till 4am. After my wife went to sleep they got into my liquor cabinet. One kid got caught by a parent who over heard a conversation. A complaint was made and I was cleared in an internal investigation. Now a criminal one has come up. I’m not worried about me because as the internal showed I was on duty. When I came home they were all sleeping. I am worried about my wife being charged with aid and abet. No one allowed them to drink they took the alcohol while I was at work and she was sleeping. As with any investigation culpability cane be established by the investigator, see where I’m going. The kids were interviewed and said they took the booze. This is a non-Union state (I started my career in NJ) if push comes to shove should I also charge all the kids with Misdemeanor Larceny? Wife is stressed

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  10. There has been so wrongful charges against my son. The baby mom gets mad and takes out charges and they believe her everytime even though she drops charges. Now she has a 50B for her and the small child so the dad cant see her. Now she is calling saying oh its ok just tell him its ok for him to see her. if he does he goes to jail but with her instigating trying to get him to see her she gets in no trouble. Is this not aiding and abetting a crime.

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  11. Can you be charged with life without the possibility of parole for aiding and abetting first degree murder?

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  12. If you got pulled over riding with a felon and you have a un paper hand gun in your back pack. … so they charged me with Aid and abet by felon … what should I do I need advice my friend was just giving me a ride to work he didn’t even know I had it on me

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  13. when your guilty your guilty. Problem with crime everyone used up all the excuses there is none left. If you assist you abed you shelter. You enable even if you are totally unaware of the circumstance. liability. p.s if you are not fully jumped into the fast lane I would suggest you stay away. There is no neutral grounds. I had an example not understanding if you fine something on another property and give id and try to return to the rightful owner. With no intensions of depriving well guess what that is theft. Beware laws have changed.

    Reply

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