Misprision of a felony is the act of deliberately concealing knowledge of a felony from the authorities without having been complicit in the felony itself.

It is a criminal offense under United States federal law and in some state jurisdictions. The crime involves knowing that a felony has been committed and failing to report it to the appropriate authorities, as well as taking affirmative steps to conceal the felony.

Misprision of a Felony Explained

Misprision of a felony requires a proactive effort to hide the felony's commission and a failure to report it. This could involve actions like hiding evidence, assisting the felon in avoiding arrest, or lying to protect the felon.

It's important to note that simply knowing about a felony and doing nothing does not constitute misprision unless there's an active effort to conceal it. The charge is less common today and is often overshadowed by more specific accessory or obstruction charges.

The Term Misprision of a Felony in Different Legal Contexts

While the concept of misprision of a felony is most directly related to criminal law, it has implications in other legal contexts, such as employment law, where individuals in certain professions may have statutory duties to report crimes.

Misprision charges may also interact with laws designed to encourage the reporting of illegal activities by providing certain protections for whistleblowers.

Common Misconceptions About the Meaning of Misprision of a Felony

A common misconception regarding the misprision of a felony is that merely knowing about a felony and not reporting it always constitutes this crime.

In reality, for the misprision of a felony to be charged, there must typically be some active effort to conceal the felony from authorities. Simply being aware of a felony without taking steps to hide it does not necessarily meet the legal requirements for misprision.

Furthermore, the misprision of a felony requires that the person not only fail to report the crime but also take affirmative steps to conceal it, a nuance often overlooked.