To be deserving of blame, to be worthy of being held responsible and liable for an act. For example: “Bill helped Bob to rob the bank and was found equally culpable of the crime by the jury.”
Law Dictionary – Alternative Legal Definition
Blamable; censurable; involving the breach of a legal duty or the commission of a fault. The term is not necessarily equivalent to “criminal,” for, in present use, and notwithstanding its derivation, it implies that the act or conduct spoken ot is reprehensible or wrong but not that It involves malice or a guilty purpose. “Culpable” in fact connotes fault rather than guilt Hallway Co. v. giayberg, 107 IU. 051; Bank T. Wright, $ Allen (Mass.) 121. As to culpable “Homicide,” “Neglect,” and “Negligence,” see those titles. Culpa poena par esto. Poena ad mensuram delicti statuenda est. Let the punishment be proportioned to the crime. Punishment is to be measured by the extent of the offense.