Many years ago, difficult child here got a ticket for underage smoking at our movie theatre parking lot. The police asked her name, she gave someone elses name, they handed her the ticket.and then went to notify the parents.meaning of course to notify difficult children parents- me. Instead the police found that difficult child had given the wrong name to them, and notified parents of a teen who was at the time sitting at home with her parents when police called to notify the parents. So, police had released difficult child after they gave her her ticket....(which at the time was a $25 ticket to pay, similar to a parking ticket) Police then went inside movie, searched inside the theater- FOUND difficult child and arrested her, handcuffs and all, AND took my young son into "protective custody" even tho I was in the bldging attached to movie theatre.
They transported both kids across town to police dept, and put difficult child into a jail cell- put my very young son into another cell- and sent an officer to get me from where I was in the bldg attached to movie theatre.
They refused me access to my young innocent son, saying no, he was in protective custody.and they charged my difficult child with felony obstruction of justice. When the police came into movie theatre to arrest her, she did at that time give her correct name....but, we had to bail her out, and we could not get our son back right away, either. Then the computers went down at police dept and police continued to refuse to releease either child- while we waited in police dept in a seperate room (me AND husband) for over 7 hours.
difficult child had to go to court, face the judge...and judge threatened to send difficult child to juvvie for 2 years....this was difficult children first run in with police in any way shape or form. We were told "obstruction of justice" is very often a far worse viewed crime by the police than most of the things a person might normally first be in trouble for.
A couple years ago my son got in legal trouble and was charged with felony obstruction of justice- his only run in with police- becuz he told another child to "be quiet, do not laugh, someone might hear" and our police dept got intensely irate with ME for wondering why they charged my son with THAT being his crime? Our police dept has an arrangement now with court and for children my sons age at the time- the police dept handles the incident without going to court...so you cannot even fight it.
But it is my impression now that "obstruction of justice" can be a nasty way to ramp up charges if a police dept is trying to "get" someone if the other charges they might be able to file are not enough to make the police dept happy enough? <sigh>> felony obstruction of justice? for a $25 smoking ticket? Felony obstruction of justice for telling another kid not to laugh?
Yup- giving a name other than your own can be a felony.