Opinion ID: 2369973
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: former jeopardy/acquittal

Text: Ms. Apostoledes' first contention is that she cannot be retried because a retrial would constitute a second trial for the same offense for which she was previously acquitted. The gist of a conspiracy is an agreement between two persons to commit a crime. Its elements were summarized in Townes v. State, 314 Md. 71, 75, 548 A.2d 832, 834 (1988): We had occasion to outline the elements and characteristics of the crime of conspiracy in Mason v. State, 302 Md. 434, 444-45, 488 A.2d 955 (1985). A criminal conspiracy consists of the combination of two or more persons to accomplish some unlawful purpose, or to accomplish a lawful purpose by unlawful means. The essence of a criminal conspiracy is an unlawful agreement. The agreement need not be formal or spoken, provided there is a meeting of the minds reflecting a unity of purpose and design. In Maryland, the crime is complete when the unlawful agreement is reached, and no overt act in furtherance of the agreement need be shown. In Regle v. State, 9 Md. App. 346, 350, 264 A.2d 119, 122 (1970), Chief Judge Murphy (now Chief Judge of this Court), writing for the Court of Special Appeals, quoted the Supreme Court of New Jersey from State v. Carbone, 10 N.J. 329, 91 A.2d 571, 574 (1952), the `gist of the offense of conspiracy lies, not in doing the act, nor effecting the purpose for which the conspiracy is formed, nor in attempting to do them, nor in inciting others to do them, but in the forming of the scheme or agreement between the parties.' (Emphasis added.) The crime of murder committed by a principal in the second degree does not require proof of an agreement between the defendant and another person in advance of the criminal act or even at the time of the act. Rather, it requires proof that the defendant was present and aided, counseled, commanded, or encouraged the commission of the murder. While aiding and abetting may be predicated upon counseling or encouraging, which in turn may be established by conversations sufficient to support a charge of conspiracy, that is not always the case. One might unilaterally but intentionally aid, counsel, or encourage another in the commission of a crime. A jury could find Ms. Apostoledes incited, ordered, induced, or encouraged the commission of the murder without having to find an agreement with Lacey. As stated in 2 W. LaFave and A. Scott, Jr., Substantive Criminal Law § 6.8, at 156-57 (1986): A much simpler question is whether one must be guilty of engaging in a conspiracy with the principal in the first degree in order to be his accomplice. The answer is no, for while an agreement is an essential element of the crime of conspiracy, aid sufficient for accomplice liability may be given without any agreement between the parties. Indeed, it is even possible for A to encourage B to commit a crime so as to be liable as an accomplice without the facts also supporting the conclusion that A and B were co-conspirators. (Footnotes omitted.) It is well settled that aiding and abetting does not always require a conspiracy and that they are not the same offense. As early as 1923, this Court stated in Gilpin v. State, 142 Md. 464, 468, 121 A. 354, 356 (1923) (quoting 16 C.J. 280), `neither an acquittal nor a conviction of a conspiracy to commit a crime is a bar to a prosecution for the commission of that crime or for aiding and abetting another to commit it.' Finally we should point out that, in addition to contending that Ms. Apostoledes aided and abetted by counseling and encouraging Lacey, the State also contended that Ms. Apostoledes gave direct assistance toward the accomplishment of the murder. As the prosecutor argued, the jury could infer that Ms. Apostoledes took steps to ensure that her husband would die of his wounds by allowing him to languish, bleeding from three gunshot wounds to the head, for an hour prior to calling for medical assistance. Even absent an agreement with Lacey, Ms. Apostoledes may have encouraged or incited him to commit the murder or may have assisted him by deliberately waiting until Mr. Apostoledes was dead before summoning aid.