Parties to Crimes

Parties to Crimes Explained by Defense Attorney in Vegas

There are certain criminal offense which multiple people become involved in. When there are multiple parties to crimes, some of the individuals who broke the law are considered more accountable than others and face harsher penalties as a result of the role that they played in committing the offense.

Nevada law details the different people who are considered parties to criminal acts in Chapter 195 of Title 15. Title 15 is the part of the Nevada code that explains all of the different behaviors that are considered to be unlawful. If you are accused of wrongdoing, it will be an offense in Title 15 with which you are charged, and the elements of the crime that the prosecutor must prove will also be defined in Title 15. Within this title, Chapter 195 identifies all of the people who can be punished for illegal acts, including people who become involved either before or after the actual criminal acts are committed.

Understanding when and how you can become a party to a crime can be complicated, especially if you are an accessory to the offense. If you are accused of any involvement in an act that is in violation of Nevada law, you should get help from Las Vegas criminal defense lawyers. Even being an accessory to a crime can have serious, life-changing penalties and could even result in your incarceration. You need to develop the right legal strategies if you are a party to a crime so you can fight for a favorable outcome if the state prosecutes you for your role in the commission of an offense.

LV Criminal Defense represents both principals and accessories who are considered parties to crimes in the state of Nevada. We will work with you to identify the best legal strategy to avoid serious sanctions. This could include, in some cases, helping you to negotiate a plea deal in which you avoid prosecution by providing testimony or evidence that helps to convict other parties to the crime.

The best course of action will depend upon your willingness to cooperate with authorities, the nature of the evidence against you, and a variety of other factors. Our Nevada defense lawyers will custom tailor our representation to you so you can get the outcome most favorable to you, given the specifics of your charges.

Parties to Crimes Under Nevada Law

When a crime is committed, often there are multiple people who play a role either in the actual wrongful acts or in covering up those wrongful acts. People could also benefit from wrongful acts after the crime has been committed, such as when they receive stolen property.

Chapter 195 is the part of Nevada law which details who exactly is considered a party to a crime and is potentially subject to punishment as a result of it. There are four statutes found within Chapter 195: Nevada Revised Statute 195.010, which explains the basic rule for classification of different parties to crimes; N.R.S. 195.020, which defines who a principal is; N.R.S. 195.030, which explains who can be considered an accessory to a crime; and N.R. S. 195.040, which explains the rules for trials and punishments of accessories.

According to N.R.S. 195.010, both principals and accessories can be considered parties to criminal acts that take place. Those who are accused of violating the law will need to be classified as one or the other, in accordance with the other definitions found in Chapter 195.

N.R.S. 195.020 defines principals. Principals are individuals who are actively involved in the commission of a misdemeanor, a gross misdemeanor or a felony. Those who commit the illegal acts are principals. Anyone who aids or abets the commission of the wrongful act is also a principal. A person could aid and abet the commission of an offense even if she is not present.

An individual who counsels someone else to commit a misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor or felony is also considered to be a principal, as is an individual who hires someone to commit a crime or who otherwise commands or induces someone to break the law. A person who engages in any of these actions encouraging, inducing, compelling or committing a felony can be considered a principal regardless of whether he entertained a criminal intent at the time of his actions.

Accessories, on the other hand, are defined within Nevada Revised Statute 195.030. Any person who is not directly related to the offender could be considered an accessory for harboring a person who committed a crime. Immediate family members for the purposes of this statute include spouses, siblings, parents, grandparents, children or grandchildren. Outside of these immediate family members, you can be considered an accessory if you harbor an offender, conceal the offender, or otherwise aid the offender in avoiding legal consequence. This would mean helping the offender escape from arrest, trial, conviction, or punishment if you have knowledge the offender committed an offense.

A non-relative who helps offenders to evade capture or consequence could be considered an accessory to a felony or an accessory to a gross misdemeanor, depending upon the underlying offense committed by the principal. Accessories can be tried and punished in accordance with the rules set forth in N.R.S. 195.040.