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Criminal conspiracy - 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 903

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     § 903.  Criminal conspiracy.
        (a)  Definition of conspiracy.--A person is guilty of
     conspiracy with another person or persons to commit a crime if
     with the intent of promoting or facilitating its commission he:
            (1)  agrees with such other person or persons that they
        or one or more of them will engage in conduct which
        constitutes such crime or an attempt or solicitation to
        commit such crime; or
            (2)  agrees to aid such other person or persons in the
        planning or commission of such crime or of an attempt or
        solicitation to commit such crime.
        (b)  Scope of conspiratorial relationship.--If a person
     guilty of conspiracy, as defined by subsection (a) of this
     section, knows that a person with whom he conspires to commit a
     crime has conspired with another person or persons to commit the
     same crime, he is guilty of conspiring with such other person or
     persons, to commit such crime whether or not he knows their
     identity.
        (c)  Conspiracy with multiple criminal objectives.--If a
     person conspires to commit a number of crimes, he is guilty of
     only one conspiracy so long as such multiple crimes are the
     object of the same agreement or continuous conspiratorial
     relationship.
        (d)  Joinder and venue in conspiracy prosecutions.--
            (1)  Subject to the provisions of paragraph (2) of this
        subsection, two or more persons charged with criminal
        conspiracy may be prosecuted jointly if:
                (i)  they are charged with conspiring with one
            another; or
                (ii)  the conspiracies alleged, whether they have the
            same or different parties, are so related that they
            constitute different aspects of a scheme of organized
            criminal conduct.
            (2)  In any joint prosecution under paragraph (1) of this
        subsection:
                (i)  no defendant shall be charged with a conspiracy
            in any county other than one in which he entered into
            such conspiracy or in which an overt act pursuant to such
            conspiracy was done by him or by a person with whom he
            conspired;
                (ii)  neither the liability of any defendant nor the
            admissibility against him of evidence of acts or
            declarations of another shall be enlarged by such
            joinder; and
                (iii)  the court shall order a severance or take a
            special verdict as to any defendant who so requests, if
            it deems it necessary or appropriate to promote the fair
            determination of his guilt or innocence, and shall take
            any other proper measures to protect the fairness of the
            trial.
        (e)  Overt act.--No person may be convicted of conspiracy to
     commit a crime unless an overt act in pursuance of such
     conspiracy is alleged and proved to have been done by him or by
     a person with whom he conspired.
        (f)  Renunciation.--It is a defense that the actor, after
     conspiring to commit a crime, thwarted the success of the
     conspiracy, under circumstances manifesting a complete and
     voluntary renunciation of his criminal intent.
        (g)  Duration of conspiracy.--For purposes of 42 Pa.C.S. §
     5552(d) (relating to commission of offense):
            (1)  conspiracy is a continuing course of conduct which
        terminates when the crime or crimes which are its object are
        committed or the agreement that they be committed is
        abandoned by the defendant and by those with whom he
        conspired;
            (2)  such abandonment is presumed if neither the
        defendant nor anyone with whom he conspired does any overt
        act in pursuance of the conspiracy during the applicable
        period of limitation; and
            (3)  if an individual abandons the agreement, the
        conspiracy is terminated as to him only if and when he
        advises those with whom he conspired of his abandonment or he
        informs the law enforcement authorities of the existence of
        the conspiracy and of his participation therein.
     (Apr. 28, 1978, P.L.202, No.53, eff. 60 days)

        1978 Amendment.  Act 53 amended subsec. (g).
        Cross References.  Section 903 is referred to in section 4120
     of this title; sections 5552, 6302 of Title 42 (Judiciary and
     Judicial Procedure).

Last modified: November 27, 2007