Criminal Conspiracy

From the Law Office of Alison Grinter in Dallas, Texas

1 Degree
2 Statute(s)
3 Caselaw
4 Collateral Consequences
5 Notes

Degree

Criminal Conspiracy is a charge that is dependent on the intent to commit another offense. Therefore, these cases are charged with reference to another criminal act, as in "Conspiracy to commit Murder" or "Conspiracy to Commit Burglary." Per the statute, an Attempt charge is "one category lower than the most serious felony that is the object of the conspiracy, and if the most serious felony that is the object of the conspiracy is a state jail felony, the offense is a Class A misdemeanor."

Statute(s)

§ 15.02. CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY.

(a) A person commits criminal conspiracy if, with intent that a felony be committed:
    (1) he agrees with one or more persons that they or one or more of them engage in conduct that would constitute the offense; and
    (2) he or one or more of them performs an overt act in pursuance of the agreement.
(b) An agreement constituting a conspiracy may be inferred from acts of the parties.
(c) It is no defense to prosecution for criminal conspiracy that:
    (1) one or more of the coconspirators is not criminally responsible for the object offense;
    (2) one or more of the coconspirators has been acquitted, so long as two or more coconspirators have not been acquitted;
    (3) one or more of the coconspirators has not been prosecuted or convicted, has been convicted of a different offense, or is immune from prosecution;
    (4) the actor belongs to a class of persons that by definition of the object offense is legally incapable of committing the object offense in an individual capacity; or
    (5) the object offense was actually committed.
(d) An offense under this section is one category lower than the most serious felony that is the object of the conspiracy, and if the most serious felony that is the object of the conspiracy is a state jail felony, the offense is a Class A misdemeanor.

Acts 1973, 63rd Leg., p. 883, ch. 399, § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1974.
Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 900, § 1.01, eff. Sept. 1,
1994.