Thank you for asking me “What happens if I give False Information to a Cop?”
While FL does not have an “Obstruction of Justice” statute per se, believe it or not FL does have a crime “False Information to Law Enforcement during Investigation”.
Florida Statute 837.055 makes it a 1st degree misdemeanor (which is punishable by up to 364 days in jail) to willfully provide false information to a cop who is conducting either a missing persons report or a felony criminal investigation.
To be found guilty of providing False Information to Law Enforcement during Investigation the State must prove the following 4 elements beyond a reasonable doubt:
1) That a law enforcement officer was conducting either a missing persons report or a felony criminal investigation; 2) That the accused knew that the investigator was a law enforcement officer; 3) That the accused knowingly and willfully gave false information to the law enforcement officer; and 4) That the accused intended to mislead the law enforcement officer or to otherwise impede the investigation.
There are separate statutes that delineate crimes for giving false information concerning the commission of a crime (see F.S. 837.05(1)), giving a false name or identification to a law enforcement officer which adversely affects another (see F.S. 901.36(2)), Tampering with either a witness or evidence (see F.S. 914.22(1) and F.S. 918.13) and resisting arrest with or without violence (see F.S. 843.01 and F.S. 843.02).
At Michael A. Haber, PA “it’s all about reasonable doubt”!
Please note that no attorney-client relationship with either Michael A. Haber, PA or Michael A. Haber, Esq. exists as a result of your watching this Webisode series. Further any and all information which is both contained in and may be construed from this Webisode series is generic in nature and should only be considered as informational and not as actual legal advise in any specific case. Should you wish to seek actual legal advise then please feel free to contact Michael A. Haber, Esq. as follows:
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