CACI 3601 Ongoing Conspiracy

California Civil Jury Instructions CACI

3601 Ongoing Conspiracy


If you decide that [name of defendant] joined the conspiracy to commit [insert tort theory], then [he/she/nonbinary pronoun] is responsible for all acts done as part of the conspiracy, whether the acts occurred before or after [he/she/nonbinary pronoun] joined the conspiracy.


Sources and Authority

“It is the settled rule that ‘to render a person civilly liable for injuries resulting from a conspiracy of which he was a member, it is not necessary that he should have joined the conspiracy at the time of its inception; everyone who enters into such a common design is in law a party to every act previously or subsequently done by any of the others in pursuance of it.’ Having been found to have joined and actively participated in the continuing conspiracy to convert, appellant became liable for the previous acts of his coconspirators under the rules relating to civil liability, and the fact that some of the missing goods may never have come into his possession would not absolve him from liability.” (De Vries v. Brumback (1960) 53 Cal.2d 643, 648 [2 Cal.Rptr. 764, 349 P.2d 532], internal citations omitted.)

“It is well settled that a conspirator is liable for all the acts done in furtherance of a common scheme or plan even though he is not a direct actor. It is equally well settled that a party may be liable even if the intentional tort is commenced before he participates, if he, knowing the facts, then participates therein.” (Peterson v. Cruickshank (1956) 144 Cal.App.2d 148, 168–169 [300 P.2d 915], internal citations omitted.)

“[Defendant] could not join in a conspiracy that had been completed.” (Kidron v. Movie Acquisition Corp. (1995) 40 Cal.App.4th 1571, 1595 [47 Cal.Rptr.2d 752], internal citations omitted.)


Secondary Sources

1 Levy et al., California Torts, Ch. 9, Civil Conspiracy, Concerted Action, and Related Theories of Joint Liability, § 9.03 (Matthew Bender)
13 California Forms of Pleading and Practice, Ch. 126, Conspiracy (Matthew Bender)
4 California Points and Authorities, Ch. 46, Conspiracy (Matthew Bender)