accessory
An accessory is someone who aided or contributed to the commission or concealment of a crime. There are two categories of accessories: accessory before-the-fact and accessory after-the-fact. Unlike an accomplice, an accessory does not need to have been actually or constructively present during the commission or concealment of the crime.Accessory before-the-factAn accessory before-the-fact is someone who did anything to encourage, aid, or assist in any material manner in the commission of a crime, thereby “participating in the design of the crime.” See Johnson v. State, 290 So. 3d 1232 (Miss. 2020).The basic elements the government must demonstrate to prove that a defendant was an accessory before-the-fact are: (1) someone committed the underlying crime; (2) the defendant advised and agreed, urged the parties, or in some way aided them to commit the offense; and (3) the defendant was not present when the offense was committed. See Evans v. State, 145 So. 3d 674 (Miss. 2014).The quantity...