Opinion ID: 1598202
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 13

Heading: conspiracy of one

Text: The Court of Appeals reversed Vogel's conspiracy conviction and remanded the cause for further proceedings. State v. Vogel, 94 NCA No. 20, case No. A-93-365 (not designated for permanent publication). In his petition for further review, Null asserts that he is now left with a felony conspiracy of one, relying on State v. John, 213 Neb. 76, 328 N.W.2d 181 (1982). The Court of Appeals reversed Vogel's conviction because the trial court refused to allow two character witnesses to testify on Vogel's behalf. Null argues that the character evidence on behalf of Vogel would have created doubt as to whether Vogel was a party to any agreement. Null further argues that if Vogel was not a party to an agreement, then there could have been no conspiracy because conspiracy requires an agreement between two or more persons, but not a conviction of two or more persons. Null goes on to argue that if Vogel did not make an agreement, then Null had no other person with whom to agree, and without such an agreement, there can be no conspiracy. The principal element of a conspiracy is an agreement or understanding between two or more persons to commit a wrong. State v. Copple, 224 Neb. 672, 401 N.W.2d 141 (1987). In John, supra, we determined that in adopting § 28-202 in 1977, the Legislature adopted the unilateral approach to conspiracy. We noted that one consequence of the unilateral approach is to make it immaterial to the guilt of a conspirator whose culpability has been established that the other person or all of the other persons with whom he conspired have not been or cannot be convicted. In fact, a person can be found guilty of conspiracy when his or her sole coconspirator has not even been charged with conspiracy. State v. Cortis, 237 Neb. 97, 465 N.W.2d 132 (1991). Under the unilateral approach, only the defendant need agree with another person; the second party can feign the agreement. When the person with whom the defendant conspired secretly intends not to go through with the plan, the culpable party's guilt is not affected by the fact that the other party feigned agreement with the conspiracy. John, supra . Even if we assume that the Court of Appeals' reversal of Vogel's conviction negates any proof of an agreement between Null and Vogel, Null is not left with a conspiracy of one. Null ignores the presence of a third party: Mayor Goodman. Under the unilateral approach to conspiracy, Null's conspiracy conviction could rest on his own actions coupled with Mayor Goodman's feigned agreement. Therefore, Null's argument that he stands convicted of a conspiracy of one necessarily fails.