in other words if you lie to a cop are you subject to perjury as if you lied in court or on a court document.
2006-10-23 15:40:18 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
Do you mean you didn't exactly tell what you really did in a minor incident, or did you go all the way and rat out someone else for a felony to save your own butt?
Like they used to say on Dragnet, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. I always urge people to keep their mouths shut if you're in any kind of a situation that will result in your needing a lawyer. The more info or opinion you give the cops, the more your attorney will have to overcome.
This is hard for everyday folks who honestly want to explain their side of things, thinking that justice will prevail. If someone is really mad, they can hang themselves by over-explaining. It's all political these days, with cops on a quota for promotion, and depends on who calls the cops first, who gets to the cops first when they arrive, and who knows what to say.
Child molesters and people with records know all this, and know how to talk to the cops and what to say to give the appearance that they are they wronged "victim." I've seen a convicted child molester walk away from an altercation with a totally innocent older female, while she wound up with felony charges. Smart crook and careless cop equals prison for a person in the wrong place at the wrong time.
A totally innocent person can wind up in jail, with an arrest record, lose their job and never be the same again because they couldn't keep their mouth shut or their statements SHORT.
If you've already made your statement, it can't be undone. They already know 99% of the people arrested are lying to some extent. What happens to you now will depend on how they want to use it to hurt or help you, and how good your lawyer is. It has nothing to do with the truth of what really happened.
2006-10-23 16:00:18 · answer #1 · answered by His Old Lady 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Perjury is when you lie under oath, as in court, etc.
Lying to a police officer is a whole other charge by itself. It is called Making False Statements to a Police Officer and it can get you in a lot of trouble.
2006-10-23 15:49:12 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
And now for the correct answer... If you make a verbal statement to the police, you can't be charged with anything if you lie... But if you sign a written statement, with a notice that "False Statements are Punishable as a Class A Misdemeanor" Under NY State Penal Law 210.45, THEN you are opening your self up for a charge of "Making a Punishable False Written Statement." Up to a year in jail in NY. (Of course your location may vary).
2006-10-24 02:42:03 · answer #3 · answered by Copper 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not perjury.
It would be Obstruction of Justice or Making False Statements to a Police Officer. It could go further than that if there was any conspiracy or harboring a fugitive involved.
2006-10-23 15:52:08 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Perjure Yourself
2016-10-16 07:19:20 · answer #5 · answered by vignola 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is a crime to lie to a Federal officer; this is what they got Martha Stewart on -- she was aquitted of the original charges, but convicted for lying about them. Bizarre.
As for lying to local and state-level police officers, that is a matter of state law, and it varies from state-to-state.
You might be brought up on hindering a police investigation, which is a lesser version of obstruction of justice. Obstruction is when you actively work to divert police or prosecutorial attention away from the truth; hindering is artfully tailoring what you say and how you say it to leave them somewhat in the dark.
Signed statements are usually done under penalty of perjury.
Your right to remain silent is precious, but it can bring an enormous amount of attention to yourself.
They can drag you before a grand jury and compel testimony, where, if you refuse, you can be jailed for up to two years for contempt.
2006-10-23 16:59:49 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
no it is not. They will not go after you for giving a false statement ether. It is to hard to prove in court that you gave a statement you knew was false. Watch COPS sometime and see how many time the cops get lied to.
2006-10-23 15:52:01 · answer #7 · answered by freedom 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if you lie in a statement to a police officer you are committing a criminal offence of making a false statement to a police officer.
Perjury deals with making a false statement under oath. so unless your statement is done under oath it is not perjury but can still get you into legal trouble
2006-10-23 15:50:22 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Perjury generally only pertains to testifying under oath. There are other charges, depending on the state, that apply to false reporting or false statements.
2006-10-23 15:45:01 · answer #9 · answered by Judge Dredd 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If you lie to the police it is called obstruction of justice. It's still a serious charge. Martha Stewart went to jail for it!
2006-10-23 15:44:04 · answer #10 · answered by Garbanzo 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋