Santa Barbara Accessory to Murder Attorney

Put 40 Years of Legal Experience on Your Side

In the state of California, you could be charged as an accessory to murder by harboring, concealing, or helping a person who you know has committed murder in order to protect him or her from the legal repercussions of his or her crime. The charge is known as being an “accessory after the fact,” which could accompany a number of other related crimes, such as resisting and obstructing a police officer.

If you’re being charged as an accessory, talk to an experienced Santa Barbara violent crimes attorney as soon as possible. Depending on the prosecutor, you could be charged with either a misdemeanor or a felony, which will change the outcome of the penalty. Let us use our 40 years of experience on your behalf.

Get your case started by calling (805) 467-6060 or filling out our online form today!

Penalties

Being an accessory to murder is considered a wobbler, which means prosecutors may file a misdemeanor or felony charge depending on the facts of the case and possibly your criminal history. If you are convicted, you could face a fine up to $5,000 and up to 1 year in jail on a misdemeanor charge. If the prosecutor decides to charge you with a felony, you could face 16 months or 2 to 3 years in prison.

Examples of Accessory Crimes

You could be charged with accessory to murder if you helped the defendant hide, if you held the defendant flee the scene, if you destroyed evidence related to the crime, and if you lied to the police regarding the investigation. For example, if a murderer asks you to hide a backpack containing the murder weapon and you comply, you would be considered an accessory to the murder.

Talk to Our Attorneys About Your Case

The sooner we hear the details regarding your case, the faster our skilled Santa Barbara criminal defense attorneys can help mounting a defense on your behalf. Appel & Morse has an extensive track record of success in our cases, and we offer flexible availability to our clients.

Contact us at (805) 467-6060 or fill out our online form to see what we can do for you.