It depends on who gets punished. If nobody but crooked cops can be proven to have covered up a crime, then only they are punished. But like murder and possession of child pornography, knowledge of someone&#x27;s criminal act legally complies the observer to turn that person in or they will be charged with conspiracy.<p>You can cover up one or two crimes but not all of them. Eventually things get found out. You could help someone get away with something once, but if it&#x27;s ever found out, you could potentially be charged with everything your buddy is up for, go to prison, and come out broke and jobless.