Legal Question in Criminal Law in Ohio

obstructing officil buisiness

I got charged with obstucting offical business, after i along with 3 other people witnessed one of our frineds get beat up by a group of our other friends.the police came to my house and took me to the police station to make a statement.i told them what happend and when they ask me how my boyfriend got home from the sceen of the crime i said he was with me when he wasnt therefore i lied but i only did it because the police tryed to tell me that the a motive to believe that me and my boyfriend set it up. the guy who got beat up said that he new we didnt do it being that i lied in my statment they took me in a different room i was in the whole time and told me that my boyfriend said he was with me but not in the same car i said i was in and they proceed to tell me if i told the truth they would let the charges go and void my ohther statement so i told the truth then when i signed it they took it and told me they where still pressing charges because it took me 15 min to get the truth out wafter they gave me the option. s that right? can i fight it in court


Asked on 12/01/06, 1:58 am

2 Answers from Attorneys
Willard Hanner Hanner Law Firm

Re: obstructing officil buisiness

You should definitely get a lawyer and fight this. First of all, in order for you to be guilty of obstructing official business, the false statement that you make must be material. I'm not sure what difference it makes how your boyfriend left the scene. And second i don't think that under the circumstances you describe 15 minutes is enough of a delay to constitute an obstruction of official business. If you'd like to talk, email me back and I can give you my number.

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Answered on 12/01/06, 8:55 am
Joseph Jacobs Jacobs & Lowder

Re: obstructing officil buisiness

I agree with Attorney Hanner's response completely. That is a very very serious charge, but a lawyer could defend you, and usually after someone is represented in a case like this, the prosecutor will realize the difficulty of proving his case and dismiss, probably at your cost....If you don't get a lawyer, the prosecutor will know that he could convict you and do just that. You did lie to a police officer...that's bad news.

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Answered on 12/01/06, 11:46 am


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