As a Maryland criminal lawyer, it is important to keep updated with the potential consequences that clients could face for a variety of criminal charges. In some states, providing aid to a murder can result in as harsh of consequences. Although he did not pull the trigger, thirty-eight year old Darcus Allen may potentially receive severe consequences because of his involvement in the murder of four police officers in. However, Allen provided aid to the responsible person, Maurice Clemons as he dodged police after the shooting. In the eyes of the law, Allen would also be held accountable for the deaths of the police officers, and receive murder charges because he assisted Clemons.
Last Sunday, Clemons walked into a coffee-house and fatally shot four police officers who were inside. When fleeing the scene, he was shot by one of the dying police officers in the abdomen. Although he should have died, with the help of family and friends like Allen, Clemons survived over two days on the run, before being killed by a solo patrolling officer.
According to investigators, Allen did time in a southern prison with Clemons. Over time, the two developed a close relationship to one another. This explains why Allen was in the first group of family and friends who assisted Clemons escape police officers. Allen acknowledged that during Thanksgiving break, Clemons spoke of murdering police, school children, and random people at intersections. On the day of the murder, Allen drove Clemons to the murder scene, and noticed that three police cars were parked in the lot. He went to buy a cigar while Clemons committed the murder. However, when his friend returned with a bullet in his abdomen, Allen sped off.
As a result of his help in the murder of law enforcement officers, prosecutors warned Allen that he could be charged of being an accomplice to an aggravated murder. Should he be convicted, he could be held to the same standards as the real shooter and therefore receive similar consequences. The possibilities for being an accomplice to an aggravated murder in some states can be as extreme as life in jail without release, or execution.
Allen was not the only accomplice to the murder, however. A total of six people are now under investigation for the murder of the Washington police officers. This group included two women, Quiana Maylea Williams and Letrica Nelson, who were also brought to court after being held for over seventy-two hours, with a $500,000 bail. Both women have been accused of giving aid to Clemons, providing him with clothes, money, and a means of transportation. After helping Clemons, both women discussed the potential legal repercussions of their actions, but decided that family was “too important.”
Generally in state law, the punishment for being an accomplice to a murder typically depends on the helpers state of mind. The accomplice must know prior to the event that a murder was about to take place–participation may not be guessed. Currently, investigations against Allen have not been fully completed. However, as evidence mounts, his chance of avoiding jail-time grows less and less.
Being charged with murder, or aiding an aggravated murder can be shocking, stressful, and life-changing. Conviction of murder charges will have irreversible consequences and will result in jail time. For the best legal defense possible for your case, it is important to contact an experienced and aggressive Maryland criminal attorney immediately.
Our attorneys have offices in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia. For more information about the firm, please visit the Maryland Criminal Attorney,Maryland Personal DUI Lawyer and Maryland personal injury websites.
