State and federal laws prohibit people planning and agreeing to commit a crime together, which is considered a serious conspiracy offense. Regardless of the type of crime, the alleged conspirators agreed to carry out, they could face a separate conspiracy charge. Depending on the facts of the case, the alleged conspirators could face federal criminal charges.
If you have been charged with conspiracy or any related crime, contact a Wayne County conspiracy lawyer. A qualified criminal attorney can fight to protect your rights during the entirety of your case.
Federal Conspiracy ChargesWhile Michigan law prohibits criminal conspiracy, most conspiracy charges are federal. This means that the accused will go through the federal criminal court system. If convicted, they could do time in a federal prison, among other penalties.
Legally, a conspiracy occurs when two or more people agree among themselves to commit a crime. The crime they conspire to commit is the underlying crime. Alleged conspirators could face charges for the underlying crime in addition to the conspiracy. For example, if a group of people conspires to sell illicit drugs, they could all face charges for drug distribution, the underlying crime, as well as conspiracy.
It is important to note that someone could face a conspiracy charge even if they do not actually commit the underlying crime. This means that in the above example, everyone who agreed to distribute drugs could face conspiracy charges even if they never actually sold the drugs.
Role of Crime CommitmentConspiracy crimes hinge on the agreement to commit a crime. That agreement is enough for prosecutors to charge the alleged conspirators. However, if the underlying crime is completed, then all conspirators are considered equally guilty of that crime as well. Using the same example as above, if one alleged conspirator actually sells the drugs, all of their alleged co-conspirators could face drug distribution charges (in addition to conspiracy charges) even if they themselves did not sell anything. For this reason, conspiracy cases can be quite complex. Anyone facing federal conspiracy charges in should call a Wayne County conspiracy lawyer right away.
Related ChargesAs noted above, alleged conspirators often face charges for the underlying crime, as well as the conspiracy itself. Some common related charges those accused of conspiracy also face include:
Prosecutors have a legal burden to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that solicitation did indeed occur. This is a high standard for prosecutors, and they often fail to meet it. Conspiracy cases are complicated because they involve multiple alleged crimes. A Wayne County conspiracy lawyer can help someone accused of this crime by investigating the facts of the case.
Often, prosecutors rely on shaky subjective evidence to show an agreement to commit a crime took place. A conspiracy defense attorney can use evidence to show that the defendant’s involvement did not rise to the level of conspiracy.