Rhode Island allows prosecutors to charge accomplices as principals under aiding-and-abetting doctrine. In theory, a driver or lookout can face the same sentence as the person who entered the store. In practice, the state must prove two things beyond a reasonable doubt: that you knew the robbery was going to happen, and that you intended to help it succeed. Mere presence is not enough. Getting a ride from someone who then committed a crime you knew nothing about is not aiding and abetting. A defense lawyer dissects what the state can prove about your knowledge and intent - texts, calls, statements - and often forces a reduction or dismissal when accomplice evidence is thin.
