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In many states the traditional distinctions between the culpability of accomplices and principals to a crime have been replaced by statute—including the felony murder rule that may make an accomplice guilty of first degree or capital murder if he was the lookout or getaway driver for a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 South Carolina, an individual who assists in the commission of a crime can be charged as an accomplice. This includes those who knowingly, voluntarily, or intentionally help another person commit a crime, as well as those who are present at the crime scene and participate in some way, such as acting as a lookout or getaway driver. South Carolina law does not strictly differentiate between principals and accomplices; both can be charged with the same crime. This is in line with the state's adherence to the 'hand of one is the hand of all' doctrine, which holds all participants in a crime responsible for the actions of each other. Additionally, under the felony murder rule in South Carolina, an accomplice can be charged with murder if a death occurs during the commission of a felony, such as a bank robbery, even if the accomplice's role was limited to being a lookout or getaway driver.