Tennessee Code Annotated
Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-411 (2026)
Accessory after the fact
✓ current as of May 2026
- (a) A person is an accessory after the fact who, after the commission of a felony, with knowledge or reasonable ground to believe that the offender has committed the felony, and with the intent to hinder the arrest, trial, conviction or punishment of the offender:
- (1) Harbors or conceals the offender;
- (2) Provides or aids in providing the offender with any means of avoiding arrest, trial, conviction or punishment; or
- (3) Warns the offender of impending apprehension or discovery.
- (b) This section shall have no application to an attorney providing legal services as required or authorized by law.
- (c) Accessory after the fact is a Class E felony.
Acts 1989, ch. 591, § 1; 1994, ch. 978, § 4; 1995, ch. 281, § 1.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 36
cases (3 in the last 5 years), 1994–2024 · leading case: State v. Campbell, 245 S.W.3d 331 (Tenn. 2008).
State v. Campbell, 245 S.W.3d 331 (Tenn. 2008). “In contrast, Tennessee Code Annotated section 39-11-411, which defines an “accessory after the fact,” only pertains to those assisting felony offenders: (a) A person is an accessory after the fact who, after the commission of a felony, with knowledge or reasonable ground to…”
State v. Burns, 6 S.W.3d 453 (Tenn. 1999). “Other types of criminal responsibility covered in Part 4 of Section 11 in Title 39 are corporate liability, see Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-11-404 (1997), individual liability for corporate conduct, see Tenn.”
Cheryl Sinclair v. Lauderdale Cnty., Tenn., 652 F. App'x 429 (6th Cir. 2016). “Under Tennessee law, accessory after the fact is defined in relevant part as “providing the offender with any means of avoiding arrest, trial, conviction or punishment,” with “knowledge or reasonable ground to believe that the offender has committed the felony, and with the…”
State v. Hawk, 170 S.W.3d 547 (Tenn. 2005). “Tennessee Code Annotated section 39-11-411 (2003) provides: (a) A person is an accessory after the fact who, after the commission of a felony, with knowledge or reasonable ground to believe that the offender has committed the felony, and with the intent to hinder the arrest,…”
State v. Butler, 880 S.W.2d 395 (Tenn. Crim. App. 1994). “The defendant’s reasoning appears to be based upon the requirement that an accessory after the fact cannot be convicted without the actual commission of a felony by an offender whom the accessory aids.”
United States v. Eric Williams, 431 F. App'x 404 (6th Cir. 2011). “See Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-411 (c). The sentencing range for a “Range II” offender who commits a Class E felony is two to four years.”
State of Tennessee v. Laylon Ward, Jr. (Tenn. Crim. App. 2018). “” T.C.A. § 39-11-411(a)(1). The record reflects that the trial court properly considered the elements of both of these offenses in determining that the harboring a fugitive conviction would constitute a felony in Tennessee.”
State of Tennessee v. Connie Reguli (Tenn. Crim. App. 2024). “] Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-411 (2018). As the statute’s plain language makes clear, the offense of accessory after the fact requires that an underlying felony be committed before a defendant’s actions can be classified as aiding or harboring the offender.”
Silva v. Mullen (M.D. Tenn. 2020). “§ 1505 , (b) Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-411 , and (c) Plaintiff’s 4th Amendment right against unreasonable search and seizure.”
Cheryl Sinclair v. Lauderdale Cnty., Tenn. (6th Cir. 2016). “Under Tennessee law, accessory after the fact is defined in relevant part as “providing the offender with any means of avoiding arrest, trial, conviction or punishment,” with “knowledge or reasonable ground to believe that the offender has committed the felony, and with the…”
State of Tennessee v. Diane Forrest (Tenn. Crim. App. 2011). “§ 39-16-503 (a)(1); and (3) accessory after the fact, Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-411 (a)(2). The following evidence was adduced at a jury trial held in the Circuit Court of Carroll County on July 28-29, 2010.”
Alden Joe Daniel, Jr. v. State of Tennessee (Tenn. Crim. App. 2003). “See Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-411 . In addition, the State had obtained information in the interval between the first and second trial concerning Petitioner’s alibi for one of the alleged offenses that left his former wife and daughter vulnerable to prosecution for perjury.”
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-411(a) — 3 cases
State of Tennessee v. Christopher Bryan Hancock (Tenn. Crim. App. 2012).
State of Tennessee v. James E. (Junebug) Ligon (Tenn. Crim. App. 2001).
State of Tennessee v. Jerry Richard Masingo (Tenn. Crim. App. 2015).
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-411(a)(1) — 2 cases
State of Tennessee v. Laylon Ward, Jr. (Tenn. Crim. App. 2018). “” T.C.A. § 39-11-411(a)(1). The record reflects that the trial court properly considered the elements of both of these offenses in determining that the harboring a fugitive conviction would constitute a felony in Tennessee.”
State of Tennessee v. Jerry Richard Masingo (Tenn. Crim. App. 2015).
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-411(a)(2) — 1 case
State of Tennessee v. Jonathan Michael Brown (Tenn. Crim. App. 2014).
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-411(b) — 1 case
State of Tennessee v. Connie Reguli (Tenn. Crim. App. 2024). “] Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-411 (2018). As the statute’s plain language makes clear, the offense of accessory after the fact requires that an underlying felony be committed before a defendant’s actions can be classified as aiding or harboring the offender.”
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-411(c) — 1 case
State of Tennessee v. Laylon Ward, Jr. (Tenn. Crim. App. 2018). “” T.C.A. § 39-11-411(a)(1). The record reflects that the trial court properly considered the elements of both of these offenses in determining that the harboring a fugitive conviction would constitute a felony in Tennessee.”
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