Criminals do not always act alone. Persons involved in a crime are referred to as parties to a crime. The punishment such persons receive from the court, (if convicted) will depend upon the extent to which they were involved in the crime (as well as other factors such as if they have a previous record). The more involved the party to the crime is, the greater their punishment.
The parties to a crime may be identified as:
Principal in the first degree: the person(s) directly responsible for the criminal act e.g. robbed the bank.
Principal in the second degree: the person(s) who assists the principal in the first degree to commit the crime e.g. drove the getaway car.
Accessory before the fact: the person(s) who help to plan the crime e.g. stole the bank plans.
Accessory after the fact: the person(s) who knowingly assists the offender after the crime has been committed e.g. helped hide the offender from police.
The parties to a crime may be identified as: