Legal Definitions - facilitate

Facilitate

In a legal context, to facilitate a crime means to make it easier for a criminal act to be carried out or completed. This often involves providing assistance, resources, or creating conditions that simplify the commission of an offense.

Here are a few examples:

• Example 1: Providing Access or Information

  Imagine an individual who works at a secure warehouse and provides a duplicate access card to an accomplice, knowing the accomplice intends to steal valuable goods from inside. The individual also shares details about the warehouse's security camera blind spots.

  How this illustrates "facilitate": By providing the access card and security information, the employee significantly reduces the difficulty and risk for the accomplice to enter the warehouse and avoid detection. This direct assistance makes the theft much easier to accomplish.

• Example 2: Creating an Opportunity

  Consider a security guard at a jewelry store who, during their shift, intentionally disables a specific alarm sensor for a short period, knowing that a group plans to break into the store during that exact window. The guard does not participate in the actual break-in or theft.

  How this illustrates "facilitate": The security guard's action of disabling the alarm directly removes a significant obstacle for the thieves, creating a window of opportunity that makes the burglary substantially easier to execute without immediate detection.

• Example 3: Providing Logistical Support

  Suppose a person lends their boat to a friend, fully aware that the friend intends to use it to transport illegally harvested seafood across state lines to avoid inspection and taxes. The person does not participate in the harvesting or selling of the seafood.

  How this illustrates "facilitate": Lending the boat provides essential logistical support for the illegal activity. Without the boat, transporting the contraband would be much more difficult or impossible, thus making the commission of the crime easier.