Legal Question in Criminal Law in New Hampshire

accomplice to a murder

If an 18 year old was partaking in a robbery of a drug dealer and he was on the first floor of a home and he heard shots fired on the second floor, why would he be charged with the murder, or being an accomplice, when he wasn't the one who had the weapon, and wasn't even in the same room as the one who fired the shot? He was a willing participant of the robbery, but not the murder. He is now being charged as an accomplice to second degree murder. There were 5 people involved, but there was only one who fired the shots, and only one who had a weapon. Shouldn't he be charged at a lesser charge than murder, or being an accomplice to murder. Murder wasn't his intent, robbery was.


Asked on 10/20/07, 8:14 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Re: accomplice to a murder

If he had the intent to commit a robbery (a violent crime) then he had enough intent to be charged with a forseeable consequence (the violent killing of the victim)... 2nd degree murder (instead of 1st degree murder). The 18 year old was acting in concert with 4 other people... they were a team...

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Answered on 10/21/07, 12:35 am


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