Opinion ID: 1355273
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: Failure to Charge Accomplice of Angela Jackson

Text: Next, Defendant Thomas complains that the trial court erred by failing to instruct the jury with an instruction concerning accomplice testimony with regard to Angela Jackson. At the close of proof, defense counsel requested that an accomplice instruction be provided with regard to Angela Jackson. The trial court denied the request, finding that Angela Jackson failed to fit the legal definition of an accomplice, in that there was no proof that she united with Defendant Thomas in the commission of the crime. Although the court recognized that Ms. Jackson did participate in the spending of the money after the fact, the court noted that this was not enough to elevate Ms. Jackson to accomplice status. An accomplice is one who knowingly, voluntarily, and with common intent unites with the principal offender in the commission of a crime. State v. Allen, 976 S.W.2d 661, 666 (Tenn.Crim.App.1997). The test generally applied in determining whether a witness is an accomplice is whether the alleged accomplice could be indicted for the same offense charged against the defendant. See id. In this state, if the offense in question was not committed by the person's own conduct, the person may, nonetheless, be criminally responsible as a principal to the offense if the person solicits, directs, aids, or attempts to aid another person to commit the offense. See Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-11-402(2). The proof in this case fails to establish that Angela Jackson solicited, directed, aided, or attempted to aid the Defendant in committing murder and/or aggravated robbery. Her actions in allowing the Defendant into her home after the crimes were committed, going shopping with the stolen money and receiving part of the proceeds for herself, do not make her a principal to the offense of murder or robbery of the victim. Thus, the Defendant's argument that it was error for the trial court not to submit an accomplice instruction to the jury is without merit, because the facts do not demonstrate that Angela Jackson was an accomplice.