People v. Collins
Supreme Court of California
53 Cal. 185 (1878)
Relevant factsFree
Collins (defendant) recruited Parnell to burglarize a building and split stolen money, but Parnell instead reported the scheme to the sheriff, who instructed him to go through the motions, mark the money, and signal police once he handed the marked bills to Collins; Collins was arrested with the marked money and convicted of burglary after the jury was instructed that the agreement and Parnell's carrying it out made Collins guilty regardless of Parnell's actual motives or intent. Collins appealed.
IssueFree
Whether a defendant may be found guilty through vicarious liability as an accomplice to a crime attributed to another person if no crime was in fact actually committed.