Accessory/Association Doctrine

The Accessory/Association doctrine, allows law enforcement officers to arrest all individuals involved in a crime and to charge them with the same offence. It allows prosecutors, to pursue the same punishments for offenders, regardless of the severity of their involvement within a crime.

The Accessory/Association Doctrine states "So long as an Accessory to the crime/associate to the crime, is partaking in the commission of a felony crime, they, as well as all involved in the commission of the crime, may be held accountable, in a legal sense, by facing the same charges."

In order for the Accessory/Association Doctrine to be viable for use, the offence being committed, by a party of individuals, must be felony class offences. The Accessory/Association Doctrine does not cover misdemeanor offences, neither does it cover infraction offences. There needs to be at least 1 felony offence committed, in order for the Accessory/Association Doctrine to be used. If a felony offence has been committed, the Accessory/Association Doctrine covers all other offences involved in the commission of the crime, weather that include further felony offences, misdemeanor offences or infractions. Additionally, the law enforcement officer, must be able to prove the accessories/associates involvement in the crime, in order to charge them with the same offences.

So long as 1 felony offence has been committed within the party, all other charges the most severe offender receives, are applicable to all Accessory/Associates within the party. This includes felonies, misdemeanors and infractions.

Examples:

• Suspect A is a getaway driver for an armed robbery crew, including Suspect B and Suspect C. At all times throughout the duration of the armed robbery, Suspect A remains in the car, anticipating the collection of Suspect B and Suspect C, in order to act as their getaway driver, to flee the scene of the crime. Suspect A collects Suspect B and Suspect C and flees the scene of the crime. They later crash into a tree, and all suspects are apprehended. As armed robbery GF01.1 - Armed Robbery, is a felony offence within the State of San Andreas, Suspect A, can be charged with the same offences as Suspect B and Suspect C, despite not partaking in the actual armed robbery. All Suspects involved would be charged with GF01.1 - Armed Robbery, as well as other respective offences, despite Suspect A not partaking in the actual armed robbery.

• Suspect A illegally sells firearms. Suspect A sells an AR-15 to Suspect B. Suspect B uses said AR-15 to murder 3 police officers in an ambush. Seen as illegally selling a firearm W05 - Unlicensed transfer of firearms, ammunition and body armoris a felony, Suspect A may also be charged with with 3 counts of capital murder in SF02 - Murder, as the weapon he sold, was used in a triple murder. Without Suspect A selling said AR-15 to Suspect B, those law enforcement officers wouldn't have been gunned down with said AR-15.