Obstruction Of Justice Virginia
Obstruction of justice is a serious offense in Virginia and is a criminal offense under Code § 18.2-460. The punishment may vary from a Class 1 misdemeanor to a Class 5 felony. If you are charged with this crime, you should know about your rights and probable defenses.
Virginia’s obstruction of justice statute has four sections. Depending on which section you are charged under, the offense could be a misdemeanor or a felony. Anyway, you are facing conceivable jail time.
Obstruction of justice in Virginia is interfering with a law enforcement officer lawfully performing his duties. If any person without just cause perceptively obstructs a magistrate, judge, juror, witness, attorney for the Commonwealth, any law enforcement officer or animal control officer in the performance of his duties as such or fails or refuses without just cause to cease such obstruction when requested to do so by such magistrate, judge, juror, and so on, he or she shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
This crime in Virginia can be committed in a number of ways including intentionally obstructing a law enforcement officer or refusing to cease obstructing after being requested to do so, using threats or force to impede a law enforcement officer, threatening bodily harm to impede a law-enforcement officer, and making a false demonstration to a law enforcement officer investigating a crime.
This offense is generally defined as the interference with the orderly administration of law and justice such as by giving false information to a law enforcement officer or by harming or menacing a witness or juror.
Obstruction of justice is a separate and distinct crime that has little to do with resisting arrest; it is a much bigger statute. Resisting arrest means a person takes a literal physical action to avoid being taken into custody. This charge is a broad term that simply boils down to charging an individual for knowingly lying to law enforcement in order to change to course/outcome of a case, or lying to protect another person. The charge may also be brought against the person who hides, destroys or alters evidence. Police and prosecutors make a judgment call when deciding whether obstruction of justice should be charged. If a person is ordered to stop obstructing and refuses to do so, he can also be convicted of obstruction of justice in Virginia under Va. Code § 18.2-460(A). It is a Class 1 misdemeanor, punished with up to 12 months in jail and a fine up to $2,500. In many cases, a person may not even be aware that they are obstructing justice in an ongoing investigation.
If you need the help of an obstruction of justice lawyer in Virginia in Fairfax, Prince William (Manassas), Fauquier (Warrenton), Loudoun (Leesburg), Caroline, Stafford, Spotsylvania (Fredericksburg), Chesterfield, Henrico, Arlington, Richmond, Alexandria, Warren (Front Royal), Clarke, Shenandoah, King George, Charles City, Frederick (Winchester), Fredericksburg, Gloucester, Hanover, Hopewell, James City, King & Queen, King William, New Kent, Newport News, Petersburg, Prince George, Rappahannock, York, call our law firm immediately for help and speak to a lawyer about your options.
The SRIS Law Group can help you best possible outcome based on the facts of your case. If you wish to consult an SRIS Law Group, P.C. obstruction of justice attorney in Virginia, call us at 855-696-3348. B
