A criminal accomplice is a person who knowingly, voluntarily, or intentionally assists another person in the commission of a crime—or under some circumstances, a person who fails to prevent another person from committing a crime. Unlike a person who aids and abets a crime by helping with the planning of the crime but is often not present at the scene of the crime—and unlike an accessory after the fact, who is not present at the scene of the crime but assists after the commission of the crime to help the perpetrator avoid arrest or punishment—an accomplice actively participates in the commission of the crime. For example, a person who acts as a lookout or getaway driver for a bank robbery is an accomplice.

In many states the traditional distinctions between the culpability of accomplices and principals to a crime have been replaced by statute—including the felony murder rule that may make an accomplice guilty of first degree or capital murder if he was the lookout or getaway driver for a bank robbery that resulted in a death.

In Rhode Island, an individual who assists in the commission of a crime is considered an accomplice and can be charged and punished as if they were the principal offender. This includes those who aid, abet, counsel, or procure the commission of the offense. Rhode Island law does not require the accomplice to be physically present at the crime scene to be held liable. Furthermore, under Rhode Island's felony murder rule, an accomplice can be charged with first-degree murder if a death occurs during the commission of certain felonies, such as robbery, even if the accomplice's role was limited to being a lookout or getaway driver. The state's statutes have effectively abolished the traditional distinctions between principals and accomplices, meaning that all parties involved in the commission of a felony can face the same degree of criminal responsibility.