Rosemond v. United States
United States Supreme Court
572 U.S. 65 (2014)
Justus Rosemond (defendant) took part in an attempted drug sale that went wrong when the buyer grabbed the marijuana and fled; someone in Rosemond's group then fired shots at the buyer, though the evidence didn't clearly show whether it was Rosemond who fired. Rosemond was convicted of aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during a drug-trafficking crime after the district court instructed the jury it only needed to find that Rosemond knew a cohort used a gun and knowingly participated in the drug deal. The Tenth Circuit affirmed, and the Supreme Court granted certiorari.
Whether a person is liable for aiding and abetting a crime by taking an affirmative act in furtherance of the crime with the intent to facilitate its commission.