One who is accessory to a crime cannot be guilty of a higher degree of crime than his principal.

Explanation

(English-origin maxim.) An accessory's guilt cannot exceed that of the principal — if the principal is guilty of manslaughter, the accessory cannot be convicted of murder.

Where this applies

• A getaway driver is charged with murder even though the shooter — the principal — was only convicted of manslaughter.
• A teenager who helped plan a robbery cannot be convicted of armed robbery when the person who actually committed it was found guilty of simple theft.
• An employee who unknowingly aided an embezzlement scheme cannot face harsher charges than the executive who masterminded it.