Which of the following statements about an accessory after the fact is true?

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Accessory after the fact is a separate criminal offense that applies when someone helps a felon after the crime has been committed, with the purpose of hindering the felon’s arrest, prosecution, or punishment. The key idea is that liability arises from aiding after the fact, not from participating in the crime itself or planning it beforehand.

That’s why the correct statement is that it is a separate crime to aid a felon after the offense. It highlights the distinctive after-the-fact liability, separate from anyone’s role as an accomplice before the fact. It’s not simply another form of being an accomplice in the original crime, and it isn’t a defense to the underlying felony. Some jurisdictions require knowledge of the felony (e.g., knowing that the person aided committed a crime), but that detail can vary, so the emphasis on it being a separate after-the-fact offense is the clearest, most consistent takeaway.