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Simple English definitions for legal terms
coprincipal
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A quick definition of coprincipal:
Term: Coprincipal
Definition: A coprincipal is someone who is involved in a crime either by committing it or helping someone else commit it. It can also refer to two or more people who have appointed someone to act on their behalf and have equal control over that person.
A more thorough explanation:
Definition: A coprincipal is one of two or more people who are involved in a criminal offense, either by committing the crime themselves or by helping someone else to do so. It can also refer to two or more people who have appointed an agent that they both have the right to control.
1. Two people plan and carry out a robbery together. They are both coprincipals in the crime.
2. Two business partners appoint an agent to manage their company. They are both coprincipals in the sense that they both have the right to control the agent's actions.
These examples illustrate the two different ways in which the term "coprincipal" can be used. In the first example, the two people are coprincipals because they are both actively involved in committing the crime. In the second example, they are coprincipals because they both have equal control over the agent they have appointed.