UCMJ Article 78: Accessory After the Fact
Understanding Your Situation and Legal Exposure Article 78 criminalizes helping someone escape accountability after they’ve committed an offense under military law. Maximum punishment equals half of what the principal offender faced, capped at 10 years regardless of the underlying crime’s severity. The critical distinction from conspiracy charges: Article 78 requires the crime to already be complete before any assistance begins. For the Unknowing Helper I helped my buddy without knowing he’d done anything wrong—how can… UCMJ Article 78: Accessory After the Fact