California, United States of America
The following excerpt is from People v. Burkett, A141774 (Cal. App. 2015):
The term "accomplice" is well-established in California law. "An accomplice is a person 'who is liable to prosecution for the identical offense charged against the defendant on trial in the cause in which the testimony of the accomplice is given.' (Pen. Code 1111; [citation].) In order to be an accomplice, the witness must be chargeable with the crime as a principal (Pen. Code 31) and not merely as an accessory after the fact (Pen. Code 32, 33). [Citation.] An aider and abettor is chargeable as a principal, but his liability as such depends on whether he promotes, encourages, or assists the perpetrator and shares the perpetrator's criminal purpose. [People v. Balderas (1985) 41
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