Eliminates a defense to the charge of rendering criminal assistance. This act provides that the fact that the person’s knowledge of the crime of the person receiving the assistance was general or secondhand is irrelevant. This act also provides that the victim(s) of the original crime of the person receiving assistance be taken into consideration when evaluating aggravating or mitigating factors for a person accused of rendering criminal assistance.   Official Text and Analysis.

Establishes that it is not a defense to rendering criminal assistance, in that the person did not have specific knowledge of the underlying crime committed by the person receiving assistance, or that the knowledge was based upon secondhand information. During sentencing for the offense of rendering criminal assistance in the first degree, when an aggravating or mitigating circumstance is alleged, a victim of the offense includes the victim or victims of the underlying crime committed by the person to whom criminal assistance was rendered.

Authorizes a court or jury to consider the victims of the underlying offense but only if the renderer had knowledge of the circumstances of the underlying crime; for purposes of imposing an exceptional sentence, in a case involving Rendering Criminal Assistance in the first degree.