Elements of Conspiracy in Stafford County

In cases where the limited extent of involvement makes a difference, the best evidence is going to be an absence of evidence. In other words, the burden may be on the government to show what the defendant knew about the entirety of the criminal enterprise which was contemplated.

In some cases, the actions that the defendant takes may be inconsistent with the knowledge of the entire enterprise. Under circumstances of conspiracy charges in Stafford County where that would matter, evidence of could be helpful. Speak with an experienced conspiracy lawyer about the types of evidence that may be useful in your case.

If Someone Decides Not to Participate

If someone decides to not participate in a conspiracy then, under the right circumstances, that can provide them with the defense. It is not going to be enough in most cases for a person to make an agreement entering into a conspiracy and then taking no other steps to follow through or have changed their mind and not told anyone.

Under circumstances of conspiracy charges in Stafford County, if someone begins to hesitate about whether they want to participate in the conspiracy, they may still be culpable. If, however, they make it clear to everyone that they are withdrawing from the agreement and that they have changed their mind and they can provide evidence of that, then that can impact a complete to a conspiracy charge.

What happens if an individual did not know about the whole plan only a small part of it?

It does not usually matter that a person only knows about one piece of the plan. If they have a criminal intent and they make an agreement to be any part of it then, in most cases they can be responsible for anything that happens in any part of the conspiracy.

The reason that conspiracy laws exist is that many criminal organizations in the past had so thoroughly compartmentalized the different pieces of the crime that no one knew what the entire object of the agreement was. The laws are written in such a way that if the person is a participant at any part of it then, the person can be responsible for all of it.

Common Ways Conspiracy is Charged

Conspiracy could be charged in a number of ways. Whether it be conspiracy to distribute drugs or conspiracy to commit a larceny or even a violent crime, an individual can be a part of planning an event and nevertheless not be the person that actually carries it out. Because of this, someone can face conviction under circumstances of conspiracy charges in Stafford County.

In order to prove conspiracy, the government has to prove that there was an agreement to commit the crime. Therefore, someone can be charged with both conspiracy and committing a crime. Because of that additional element, it makes each of those charges distinct for purpose of double jeopardy. Under a double jeopardy analysis, they are not the same thing because the person can be convicted of both.