If someone tells you that their husband committed a murder & you don't report it to the authorities, are you

Question

breaking a law? Isn't it called witholding evidence? Failure to report a crime?

What is the legal term for this act?

Answer 1

It sounds more like hearsay, which isn't allowed in court. So I don't think Stacy Peterson is guilty of a crime. Besides, she was probably concerned for her saftey for obvious reasons. 2D

The term you may be looking for is obstruction of justice.

Answer 2

It's a pity that nobody bothered to record anything.

It is my guess that Drew probably recorded it. The minister received a phone message the moment he returned from his meeting with stacy.

I think there is some clergy privilege that allows him to choose whether or not to report something that someone tells him in confidence. I sure as heck would be telling the authorities.

Don't know if you have heard this yet, but the minister was on the grand jury when k savio's situation was brought up. He asked to be removed immediately.

Between this and the police officer on the original savio coroner's panel, I can't believe the coincidence.

Answer 3

No law requires you to report a crime. To be "obstruction of justice" you have to actively conceal the knowledge of the crime - lie to the cops, help move the bodies, something like that.

Just keeping your mouth shut is perfectly legal.

Google "David Cash" and "Sherrice Iverson". Cash saw his friend Jeremy Strohmeyer sexually molesting 9 year old Sherrice in a casino bathroom, and just left him to it. Strohmeyer, when he came back to the tables, told Cash that he'd killed her. Cash never told anyone until after Strohmeyer was caught for the crime. He coudn't be charged with any crime, because he had no legal duty to tell anyone.

To the people who said hearsay.... The heasay rules apply ONLY at trial. They do not apply during an investigation. If the wife told you that her husband committed a murder, and you choose to tell the cops, the cops can go and question them both based on what you told them.

If the wife then denied telling you that, you could still be called at trial because one exception to the hearsay rule is to impeach other testimony. So the wife could be put on the stand and asked "Did you tell Bob that your husband committed this crime?", and if she says "No I didn't", then you could be called to say she's lying.

Richard

Answer 4

That must be one of the gray areas of the law.... I think the only legal term for failing to report something like that is called "being a wiener." Reporting it is called "hearsay" in court, but before court can ever get underway the cops need help. Cops are always interested in listening to a lead and this might be a good one. Talk to them.

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Answer 5

I think that you would be committing a number of crimes most of which have already been given. The is however a law in England which says that a woman cannot testify against her husband or visa verse in a court of law.

Answer 6

Accessory after the fact. You've broken the law. If the police were to question you and you decided not to give up information you know about the case, you could be charged with obstruction of justice. You need to treat this seriously and report the incident to the police so they may investigate in order to determine if a crime has been committed. You will not be charged with any crimes. You're only acting as a good Samaritan.

Answer 7

Here say If Drew's wife would have told the police her self then she might still be alive today. That is a big MIGHT because of the way the cops took Drew's side every time they were called to his house

Answer 8

No.

Any information given to the police must be 1st hand knowledge.
If you go running to the police with 2nd hand knowledge they must follow up (or what is called investigate) until they get someone who can tell them 1st hand, before they can proceed.

Different story if you were given the information by the person who comitted the crime.

Answer 9

I think it is breaking the law. I'm not sure what offense it is. I wonder if you could be charged as a coconspirator?

I would think that if the police directly asked you questions relating to the matter and you didn't disclose it you may have perjured yourself. I am not sure.

Answer 10

You could be an accessory after the fact, I believe. You knowlingly withheld information after you learned of it. Even though you don't know it is legitimate, I believe it is your duty to inform the authorities of the possibility of the crime.