I was wondering if you should happen to witness a crime do you have the choice to report what you saw or to simply not get involved and ignore? Can you make that choice or do you have to report?
2007-12-07 05:51:56 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
In the States, you are under no real obligation to report anything.
In fact, it's an extremely moral and right thing for you to do if you don't agree with the law being broken. That's why we're supposed to have fully informed juries (now the judge pretty much tells the jury what to do). However, the law-enforcement types will try to threaten and cajole it out of you if they think you know anything.
2007-12-07 05:56:04 · answer #1 · answered by Spacer C 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It depends on what state you are in. There are at least 2 and I believe 5 states that have laws requiring you to report if you witness a crime.
2007-12-07 06:03:04 · answer #2 · answered by James E Lewis AKA choteau 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First, it all depends on what city or state you are in. You never really have an obligation to report a crime but some states might say that you do. You should call your attorney general to see wha the law is in your state.
2007-12-07 05:56:04 · answer #3 · answered by Vero 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, you don't, with a few exceptions.
Some people such as teachers, counselors, nurses, priests etc are what's called "mandated reporters" which means they have to report child or elder abuse they come across in their work, but that doesn't apply to 'regular citizens'.
In CA we have a law called "Sherrice's law" that requires any adult that knows of a sex crime or crime of violence against a child to report it, but it's never been challenged in court, and many legal analysts believe it will never pass constitutional scrutiny.
The law is named for 9 year old Sherrice Iverson who was sexually molested and murdered by A guy called Jeremy Strohmeyer in a Casino restroom on the NV / CA state line. His friend David Cash saw him drag the girl into the restroom, and went in to see what was happening. He looked over the stall door and saw Strohmeyer molesting the girl, and he just went back to the tables. When Strohmeyer came back out and told Cash he'd killed her, Cash never said anything. Cash was never able to be charged with any crime, and in fact the University of California couldn't even find legal grounds to revoke his scholarship. He's now a nuclear reactor engineer.
Richard
2007-12-07 05:54:35 · answer #4 · answered by rickinnocal 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
You have the right to not step forward. It's not a very moral thing to do, but that is your decision to make. Now, if the police somehow discover that you were a witness, then the can get a court order to compel you to tell them what you saw, or even to testify in court. But no court order can make you volunteer, by the simple fact that they won't know who you are.
2007-12-07 05:55:41 · answer #5 · answered by juicy_wishun 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
You don't have to report it but if the prosecutor or defendant finds out about you and wants you at trial, then you can be subpoenaed and will have to show up or risk jail yourself.
2007-12-07 05:56:13 · answer #6 · answered by mikegreenwich 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
For major crimes, it is possible that the authorities get you for "obstruction of justice", but that is rare. You don't have to testify if you don't want to. However, they can subpeona you if they "require" your testimony. In other words, what you see or know is make-or-break to the case.
2007-12-07 05:58:20 · answer #7 · answered by Scott D 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You don't have to report it but it is your civic duty.
Consider this, if someone saw something bad being done to you, wouldn't you want them to report that they witnessed it?
2007-12-07 05:57:51 · answer #8 · answered by ha_mer 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
You don't "have to". but if there was a victim, surely they will need all the help they can get.
2007-12-07 05:59:17 · answer #9 · answered by and_y_knot 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No I dont believe so.
2007-12-07 05:55:01 · answer #10 · answered by CaliGirl 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋