I should have seen it coming.  Yesterday I discussed aiding and abetting, and accessory before the fact.  Naturally I was asked the completely logical question of “Is there such a thing as accessory after the fact?”  Absolutely, there is. Section 97-1-5 of the Mississippi Code Annotated defines accessory after the fact, stating as follows: Every person who shall be convicted of having concealed, received, or relieved any felon, or having aided or assisted any felon, knowing that such person had committed a felony, with intent to enable such felon to escape or to avoid arrest, trial, conviction or punishment, after the commission

In Mississippi, “aiding and abetting” and “accessory before the fact” are how you can be charged with a crime when you didn’t even do it.   If you “help” someone to commit a crime, that is, you know of someone’s plan to commit a crime, and you do something to help them commit it, you have “aided and abetted” them.  Even if you were not present when the crime was committed, if the government can show that you had knowledge of the crime before or after the fact, and you assisted in it through advice, actions, or financial support, then you can be charged with aiding and abetting.    ”Accessory