Tennessee § 39-11-401 - Parties to offenses.

§ 39-11-401. Parties to offenses.

A person is criminally responsible as a party to an offense, if the offense is committed by the person's own conduct, by the conduct of another for which the person is criminally responsible, or by both. Each party to an offense may be charged with commission of the offense. Acts 1989, ch. 591, § 1. Sentencing Commission Comments. Sections 39-11-401 — 39-11-407, and 39-11-411 describe general principles used to assess the criminal liability of persons who act together to violate a criminal law. Sections 39-12-102 (solicitation) and 39-12-103 (criminal conspiracy) also are pertinent. This section is a restatement of the principles of Tennessee common law which provide equal criminal liability for principals, accessories before the fact, and aiders and abettors. The revised code does not utilize these terms; instead, it provides that any person may be charged as a party if he or she is criminally responsible for the perpetration of the offense. Compiler's Notes. The sentencing commission terminated June 30, 1995. Sentencing Commission Comments have been retained, but do not reflect 1995 or subsequent legislation. Textbooks. Tennessee Criminal Practice and Procedure (Raybin), § 26.53. Law Reviews. State v. Carson: A Misguided Attempt to Retain the Natural and Probable Consequence Doctrine of Accomplice Liability Under the Current Tennessee Code, 29 U. Mem. L. Rev. 273 (1998). The Death Penalty in Tennessee — Recent Developments (Roy B. Morgan, Jr.), 8 Mem. St. U.L. Rev. 107 (1978).