Accomplice liability can be a serious charge depending on the auxiliary offense. If you or a loved one has been charged with accomplice liability, then please understand that there may be grave consequences associated with a guilty plea or conviction. This is why it is important to research your lawyer/law firm before you retain his/her services. At the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall, we have the knowledge, experience, credentials, and man-power to help you or your loved one facing a accomplice liability charge. At our Bergen County Criminal Defense firm, we have:

  • Eleven (11) criminal defense attorneys on staff
    • Combined together, over 200 years of experience
  • Eight (8) former prosecutors on staff
    • Four (4) were former county prosecutors who’ve tried high-profiled murders trials before a jury during their tenure as prosecutors
    • Many held directorial positions during their tenures as former assistant county prosecutors
      • One (1) was the head of the Drug, Gang, and Gun Task force
      • One (1) was the head of the Major Crimes Division
      • One (1) was the head of the Trial team
  • Multiple attorneys selected to either the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 or Top 40 Under 40
  • Two (2) attorneys selected to Thomson Reuters’ Super Lawyers Rising Stars list for criminal defense
    • Only 2.5% of attorneys in New Jersey are selected to said list
  • One (1) attorney certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Criminal Trial Attorney
    • Less than 1% of attorneys hold this distinction in New Jersey

Please give our office a call at 201-201-0086. We are available 24/7.

Hackensack Accomplice Liability Attorney

Accomplice Liability, codified as N.J.S.A. 2C:2-6, is a criminal charge here in New Jersey. The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office will have to prove the charge beyond a reasonable doubt. Accomplice Liability under the law is when:

  • a Defendant commits by his own conduct or by the conduct of another person for which he/she is legally accountable, or both.
  • A defendant is legally accountable for the conduct of another person when:
    • He/she acts with culpability that is sufficient for the commission of the crime, he/she causes an innocent or irresponsible person to engage in such conduct, or;
    • He/she is made accountable for the conduct of such person by the code or by the law defining the crime, or;
    • He/she is an accomplice of such other person in the commission of an offense, or;
    • He/she is engaged in a conspiracy with such other person
  • A defendant is an accomplice of another person in the commission of an offense if he/she:
    • purposefully promotes or facilitates the commission of the offense, he/she;
      • solicits such other person to commit it, or;
      • aids or agrees or attempts to aid such other person in planning or committing it, or;
      • having a legal duty to prevent the commission of the offense, fails to make proper effort to do so, or;
    • His/hers conduct is expressly declared by law to establish his complicity

Are there any defenses to accomplice liability?

The short answer to this is, yes. The law provides that a person is not an accomplice in an offense committed by another person when;

  • He/she is the victim of that offense;
  • The offense is so defined that his conduct is inevitably incident to its commission, or;
  • He/she terminates his complicity under circumstances manifesting a complete and voluntary renunciation as defined in 2C:5-1d prior to the commission of the offense. Termination by renunciation is an affirmative defense which the defendant must prove by a preponderance of the evidence (more likely than not).

However, a defendant can still be convicted of accomplice liability on proof of the commission of the offense and of his complicity therein, even though the person claimed to have committed the offense has not been prosecuted or convicted or has been convicted of a different offense or degree of offense or has an immunity to prosecution or conviction or has been acquitted.

Penalties for Accomplice Liability

Depending on the degree of the auxiliary charge is what the defendant may be charged with. If the charge is a first degree racketeering charge, then the accomplice liability will likely be charged as a first degree too.

Fort Lee Criminal Defense Lawyers

As you can tell from above, an accomplice liability charge is serious. Please do not hesitate to call our law firm at 201-201-0086, we are available 24/7.