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Simple English definitions for legal terms
perpetrator
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A quick definition of perpetrator:
A perpetrator is someone who has committed a crime. If more than one person is involved in the crime, it is important to determine who is responsible for what. The person who actually committed the crime is called the "first-degree principal." Someone who helped the perpetrator is called an "accessory." There are two types of accessories: "accessory before-the-fact" and "accessory after-the-fact." The punishment for an accessory after-the-fact cannot be more than half of the punishment for the perpetrator.
A more thorough explanation:
A perpetrator is a person who has committed a crime. If more than two people are involved in a crime, it is important to determine the criminal liability and punishment among the defendants. The individual who directly committed the crime is known as the "first-degree principal" according to the 18 U.S. Code §2.
For example, if a person robs a bank, they are the first-degree principal.
The person who did not directly commit the crime but provided assistance to the perpetrator is known as the "second-degree principal" or "accessory." There are two types of accessories: "accessory before-the-fact" and "accessory after-the-fact."
For example, if a person helps plan a bank robbery but does not participate in the actual robbery, they are an accessory before-the-fact. If a person helps the bank robber hide from the police after the robbery, they are an accessory after-the-fact.
It is important to note that the punishment for an accessory after-the-fact cannot be more than half of the punishment for the first-degree principal, according to the 18 U.S. Code §3.
Overall, a perpetrator is someone who has committed a crime, and the legal system distinguishes between different levels of involvement in the crime when determining criminal liability and punishment.