Obstructing Justice and Resisting Arrest in St. Pete and Pinellas Park
Resisting arrest charges (also known as obstruction of justice) occur when an individual resists or interferes and attempts to prevent a law enforcement officer from performing a lawful arrest. Common behavior leading to this charge has included:
- Disobeying verbal commands
- Concealing evidence or providing false information to law enforcement
- Moving to prevent being handcuffed
- Refusing to leave an area after being asked by law enforcement
- Assaulting or threatening to harm a police officer
- Running or hiding from law enforcement
There are two types of crimes, depending on whether the offender used violence:
- Resisting arrest without violence is a misdemeanor crime, it can be punished by up to a year in jail or twelve months of probation and a $1,000 fine.
- Resisting arrest with violence is a felony crime, it can be punished by up to five years in prison or five years of probation, and a $5,000 fine.
If you have been charged with resisting arrest, consult with Oldham & Delcamp
This is a serious charge but it can be defended, you just need an experienced criminal defense attorney on your side. The attorneys of Oldham & Delcamp are former prosecutors, they are familiar with these charges and what factors work in your favor to have them dropped or reduced.
