Crimes and Criminal Procedure - 18 USC Section 3

01/19/04

Sec. 3. Accessory after the fact

Whoever, knowing that an offense against the United States has
been committed, receives, relieves, comforts or assists the
offender in order to hinder or prevent his apprehension, trial or
punishment, is an accessory after the fact.
Except as otherwise expressly provided by any Act of Congress, an
accessory after the fact shall be imprisoned not more than one-half
the maximum term of imprisonment or (notwithstanding section 3571)
fined not more than one-half the maximum fine prescribed for the
punishment of the principal, or both; or if the principal is
punishable by life imprisonment or death, the accessory shall be
imprisoned not more than 15 years.
one who knowing a felony to have been committed by another,
receives, relieves, comforts, or assists the felon in order to
hinder the felon's apprehension, trial, or punishment -
and cited Jones' Blackstone, books 3 and 4, page 2204; U.S. v.
Hartwell (Fed. Cas. No. 15,318); Albritton v. State (32 Fla. 358,
13 So. 955); State v. Davis (14 R. I. 281); Schleeter v.
Commonwealth (218 Ky. 72, 290 S. W. 1075). (See also State v.
Potter, 1942, 221 N. C. 153, 19 S. E. 2d 257; Hunter v. State,
1935, 128 Tex. Cr. R. 191, 79 S. W. 2d 855; State v. Wells, 1940,
195 La. 754, 197 So. 419.)
The second paragraph is from section 551 of title 18, U.S.C.,
1940 ed. Here only slight changes were made in phraseology.

AMENDMENTS
1994 - Pub. L. 103-322, Sec. 330016(2)(A), inserted
"(notwithstanding section 3571)" before "fined not more than
one-half" in second par.
Pub. L. 103-322, Sec. 330011(h), amended directory language of
Pub. L. 101-647, Sec. 3502. See 1990 Amendment note below.
1990 - Pub. L. 101-647, as amended by Pub. L. 103-322, Sec.
330011(h), substituted "15 years" for "ten years" in second par.
1986 - Pub. L. 99-646 inserted "life imprisonment or" in second
par.

EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1994 AMENDMENT
Section 330011(h) of Pub. L. 103-322 provided that the amendment
made by that section is effective as of Nov. 29, 1990.

Last modified: April 12, 2006