If all elements are proven, the judge or the jury finds the person guilty of the crime. For example, if a group of teenagers talks about how easy they think it would be to walk out of a store with a pair of jeans, they have not committed a crime, nor have they committed an attempted crime. However, if they deactivate a store's alarm system so it cannot detect what passes through the doors, they probably have committed a tampering or vandalism crime as well as attempted theft. They have taken a substantial step toward the commission of the theft. The law of conspiracy and the law of aiding and abetting are other general doctrines that apply to a wide range of offenses.
Conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to commit a crime.
For example, if three people conspire to steal a bicycle from someone's garage, and one person actually takes the bike, all three can be charged with both conspiracy and theft. Even if one conspirator backs out of the conspiracy and the other conspirators commit the crime, all conspirators may be criminally liable if the acts were reasonably foreseeable. A person who aids or advises another in committing a crime may be guilty of aiding and abetting , and may be criminally liable for the acts of the other person, as well. Thus, if someone intentionally advises another on how to commit a crime, both persons are equally liable under the law. Misdemeanors Criminal codes penalize a variety of activities.