If a 14yo lied to the officer about her last name...?

Question

...and address because she was innocent but were with friends that stole (at the mall)and happened to be them at the time then claiming her mom would kill her for the incident so lied and gave her friends last name and address.
What would that cause? And would that be considered purgery(or the like)? I tried to warn her that that was a bad idea, but I was just guessing. (btw, I'm the mom of the one that stole that is in trouble. I think that the friend was just scared silly so lied.) Would confessing/correcting undo what she did?

Thanks for the answers so far, but here's the deal. Last night I was giving my 2 girls privacy at the mall to hang with their friend, my girl stole. She IS in trouble with us. But the friend that was with them (I was told) was trying to talk her OUT of it. But the way the 3 'officials' stated it, was that they wrote up all three. One with misemenor and the other two with notation because they were not caught red handed, BUT they could have passed it to the one that was. The friend gave MY/our last name but I didn't find out (since we were all being talked to and questioned in a little back room) until we left the mall and it was all over. Real first name but all my information otherwise. Yes, the damage is done. I'm just trying to get information to have my daughter pass on to the girl in school for HER information. (and my curiousity.)

Oh, another thing is: FYI: They were all banned from the mall for a year from yesterdays date and if they show up, it's a felony and will be arrested (we were told) and the one caught has to pay approx. $300 when we get the fine in the mail in about 3 weeks he said.

It's PA. York Co.

LOL(sad)... Child services, youth services, MHMR and everybody else already come weekly to my house (because of my eldest daughter, who had stayed home last night.) I totally agree about staying away from people who are bad influences and I chewed everybody involved during the long 45 min. drive to take the girl back home before another 45 mins. of talking to my girls until WE got home. I've done ALL that I can do unless I kick them out onto the street, but then that would be abandonment. I just wanted input before I recommended to her what the friend should do.
Confess or not.

Answer 1

I work in Loss Prevent and catch and process shoplifters daily.

She will be fine. She should not have lied but theres noting that will happen.

The innocent girl should just make sure she stays away from mall. If she gets caught then they may try to charge her with something.

For the most part her name(like the other girls) is in a database and will only effect them if they steal again.

Answer 2

I have gone through this before. I didn't give the officer the wrong name he wrote the wrong name on the police report. And it was for an automobile accident. I went to the police station and told them the name on the report was wrong it was corrected the same day no questions asked.Just tell her to go correct the problem its not that big of a deal. She doesn't have to tell anyone she gave the officer the wrong name just that the name on their report is wrong.They will probably change and not even ask her any questions about it.

Answer 3

It depends on the state. NJ it's a disorderly persons offense (misdemeanor) to lie to a police officer. Perjury is when someone lies under oath during an official proceeding. I seriously doubt the police are going to care that much that a 14 year old girl (that never comitted a crime) gave them false information. The best you could do is talk to the girl's parents and explain to them what happened. The rest is on them.

Answer 4

First, I am not a lawyer or a police officer. This is what sounds reasonable to me:

If the police follow up on the address, and go to the friend's house looking for her, they won't find her. If they figure out who she really is and where she lives, she could be charged with obstructing justice or hindering an officer. I'd think a lot of it depends on the judgement of the officer, how much work it took to find her, and how material her testimony is to the original crime. Both crimes are probably misdemeanors, at least as you describe them, but still won't look good on her record.

Answer 5

You are the thief's mother? I think she needs to tell her mother what happened and how she was involved and then she and her mother needs to straighten it out with the police. And then, her mother needs to advise her daughter that hanging out with people who steal (your daughter) will ruin her reputation, and that she is no longer allowed to have anything to do with her.

I always told mine when they were that age, that if they were with anyone who shoplifted and they didn't stop them or report it, then they were thieves by association.

You and your daughter need to get some counseling as usually shoplifting is an indication for a need for positive attention, and she apparently isn't getting any and also didn't get the message that you don't take what doesn't belong to you. That was your job.

Answer 6

What she did can be considered obstructing a police investigation or providing false information. Police tend to be more lenient if you tell the truth in the first place, but confessing would help slightly, but the damage has been done.

Answer 7

It's not perjury, as there was no oath. However, cops are a vindictive bunch, and it is technically a crime to lie to one. Simply lying is usually misdemeanor, but giving someone else's name could be a felony ---- impersonation.

Edit: I don't know how this might apply to a juvenile, however. If she's not charged in the theft, maybe it will be okay.

Answer 8

yes if she lied to the police about who she was, and if she knew any info or was with the person who stole, yes in juv court they can be in trouble also.

Remember juv court does not work like adult court, you do not have all the same rights, and they look at the welfare of the child and honestly alot of them assume the child guilty untill you prove they are not. ( I know that is not what they say, but I have been in dozens and this is just the fact of life)

And yes they need to go confess and straighten this out before it gets out of hand and someone doing the investigation gets upset and wants to make an example of them.

Lying also make them appear to have something to do with it.
They can be charged in juv court witht he same crime just for being with them and not reporting them.

Answer 9

As a minor it would take some pretty extraordinary circumstances for any legal action to be taken.

As for "what would that cause"? If she experiences no adverse consequences for this incident, she will likely continue to lie to avoid any adverse consequences.

Confession is a means of accepting consequences, if she is truly repentant.

Answer 10

Time to march a 14 y/o down to the station and make them confess that they lied. They may want to beg not to go to jail. Although it would not change the investigation, it will prove a point.