Fort Lauderdale Obstruction of Justice Lawyers in, Florida
Defend Yourself with 150+ Years of Experience at Musca Law
Florida Statute Chapter 843 notes various criminal acts that are classified as obstructions of justice. Any individual who finds themselves charged with any one of these crimes is strongly encouraged to take the allegations extremely seriously.
A state prosecutor will usually try to obtain the maximum legal sentences, and they are fully aware that a judge will also be far more inclined to inflict more serious punishments on alleged offenders who are found guilty of meddling with the legal process of criminal justice. A conviction will have wildly harsh penalties, a few of which will be a long period of incarceration and substantial administrative fines.
If you have been placed under arrest for any sort of suspected obstruction of justice, you will need to be completely certain that you have the best, most reputable legal counsel available prior to entering a courtroom. The obstruction of justice criminal defense attorneys from Musca Law represent clients from the Fort Lauderdale area of Broward County.
Our obstruction of justice attorneys thoroughly examine each of these cases and work diligently to get your charges lessened or, hopefully, dismissed entirely. Our law firm is able to give you a complete evaluation of your charges in a confidential, no-obligation discussion of your case when you call to schedule an appointment with us. Don’t hesitate to contact us today at (954) 302-5391 to schedule a free initial case consultation with one of the experienced attorneys in our Fort Lauderdale office.
Crimes of Obstructing Justice in Florida
Some of the more frequently prosecuted offenses under Florida Statute 843 regarding the obstruction of justice include but are not limited to:
- Resisting Officer With Violence to His or Her Person: It is considered a third-degree felony according to Florida Statute § 843.01 if a suspected offender intentionally and deliberately opposes, resists, or obstructs any identified law enforcement officer or any other individual who is legally sanctioned to execute the legal process or the legal performance of any statutory responsibility, by doing or threatening injury to the physical body of any such law enforcement officer or other legally empowered individual
- Resisting Officer Without Violence (ROWOV) to His or Her Person: It is considered a first-degree misdemeanor according to Florida Statute § 843.02 if a suspected offender opposes, resists, or obstructs any identified law enforcement officer or any other individual who is legally sanctioned to execute the legal process or the legal performance of any legal responsibility, without doing or threatening injury to the physical body of any such law enforcement officer or other legally empowered individual.
- Aiding Escape: It is considered a third-degree felony according to Florida Statute § 843.12 if a suspected offender deliberately assists or aids another person in endeavoring to escape, escaping, or who has previously escaped, from a law enforcement officer or individual who is entitled to or possesses the legal supervision of such a person.
- Compounding Felony, Florida Statute § 843.14: It is considered a third-degree felony according to Florida Statute § 843.14 if a suspected offender, possessing knowledge of the perpetration of a crime that is punishable by death or punishable by incarceration in a state penitentiary, demands money or a tip or prize, or a meeting for that purpose, with an understanding or agreement, stated or inferred, to aggregate or cover up such a crime, or not to prosecute for such a crime, or not to provide evidence of such a crime, but this will be classified as a first-degree misdemeanor in the event that the crime of which the suspected perpetrator had inside information regarding was punishable in any other way.
Some other kinds of obstruction of justice charges that are noted under this chapter of the Statute includes but is not limited to:
Unlawful Possession of a Concealed Handcuff Key: Florida Statute § 843.021. Is a third-degree felony
Depriving Officer of Means of Protection or Communication: Florida Statute § 843.025. Is a third-degree felony
Obstruction by Disguised Person: Florida Statute § 843.03. Is a first-degree misdemeanor
Refusing to Assist Prison Officers in Arresting Escaped Convicts: Florida Statute § 843.04. Is a first-degree misdemeanor
Resisting Timber Agent: Florida Statute § 843.05. Is a second-degree misdemeanor
Neglect or Refusal to Aid Peace Officers: Florida Statute § 843.06. Is a second-degree misdemeanor
Falsely Personating Officer, etc.: Florida Statute § 843.08. Is a third-degree felony. This can, however, be classified as a second-degree felony if the suspected offender impersonates a law enforcement officer during the commission of a felony, and classified as a first-degree felony should the commission of the felony bring about the personal harm or death of another person
Prohibited Use of Certain Lights: Florida Statute § 843.081. Is a first-degree misdemeanor
Unlawful Use of Police Badges or Other Indicia of Authority: Florida Statute § 843.085. Is a first-degree misdemeanor
Criminal Actions Under Color of Law or Through Use of Simulated Legal Process: Florida Statute § 843.0855. Is a third-degree felony
Escape Through Voluntary Action of Officer: Florida Statute § 843.09. Is a second-degree felony
Escape by Negligence of Officer: Florida Statute § 843.10. Is a first-degree misdemeanor
Conveying Tools Into Jail to Aid Escape; Forcible Rescue: Florida Statute § 843.11. Is a second-degree felony in the event that a suspected offender assists or aids a convict in her or his attempts to flee from a place of imprisonment, but it may be a first-degree misdemeanor if the convict whose rescue or flight from imprisonment was impacted was charged with a crime that was not a capital crime nor was it punishable by incarceration in a state prison
Aiding Escape of Juvenile Inmates of Correctional Institutions: Florida Statute § 843.13. Is a second-degree misdemeanor
Failure of Defendant on Bail to Appear: Florida Statute § 843.15. Is a third-degree felony in the event that a suspected offender was discharged in relation to a felony charge or while waiting for sentencing or awaiting review by certiorari following a conviction of any crime, or classified as a first-degree misdemeanor in the event that the suspected offender was discharged in relation to a misdemeanor charge
Unlawful to Install or Transport Radio Equipment Using Assigned Frequency of State or Law Enforcement Officers: Florida Statute § 843.16. Is a first-degree misdemeanor
Unauthorized Transmissions to and Interference with Governmental and Associated Radio Frequencies Prohibited: Florida Statute § 843.165. Is a first-degree misdemeanor
Unlawful Use of Police Communications: Florida Statute § 843.167(1)(b). Is a first-degree misdemeanor, however, intercepting any law enforcement radio transmission through the aid of a police scanner or any additional means with the intention of utilizing those communications to aid them in perpetrating an offense or to flee from or evade apprehension, conviction, arrest, trial, or sentencing in relation to the perpetuation of such an offense is eligible for enhanced sentencing for the suspected offenses so that a second-degree misdemeanor is tried as though it were a first-degree misdemeanor, a first-degree misdemeanor is tried as though it were a third-degree felony, a third-degree felony is tried as though it were a second-degree felony, a second-degree felony is tried as though it were a first-degree felony, and a first-degree felony is tried as though it were a life felony
Publishing Name and Address of Law Enforcement Officer: Florida Statute § 843.17. Is a first-degree misdemeanor
Boats; Fleeing or Attempting to Elude a Law Enforcement Officer: Florida Statute § 843.18. Is a third-degree felony
Offenses Against Police Dogs, Fire Dogs, SAR dogs, or Police Horses: Florida Statute § 843.19(2). Is a third-degree felony in the event that a suspected offender deliberately and consciously, without legal basis or explanation, causes grievous bodily injury, life-long incapacity, or the loss of life, or employs the use of a lethal weapon toward a search and rescue dog, police dog, fire dog, or police horse. Under Florida Statute § 843.19(3) this can be classified as a first-degree misdemeanor if a suspected offender really and purposely, with malicious intent, strikes, touches, or inflicts physical bodily harm to a search and rescue dog, police dog, fire dog, or police horse, or under Florida Statute § 843.19(4) can be classified as a second-degree misdemeanor if the suspected offender deliberately or consciously, and with malicious intent, attacks, taunts, intervenes with, or tries to intervene with a search and rescue dog, police dog, fire dog, or police horse while the animal is carrying out work in the line of duty
Harassment of Participant of Neighborhood Crime Watch Program Prohibited: Florida Statute § 843.20. Is a first-degree misdemeanor
Depriving Crime Victim of Medical Care: Florida Statute § 843.21(1). Is a third-degree felony in the event that an asserted victim’s medical situation gets worse as the outcome of the withholding of proper medical attention, or under Florida Statute § 843.21(2) can be classified as a second-degree felony in the event that the withholding of proper medical attention contributes or ends in the asserted victim’s loss of life
Traveling Across County Lines With Intent to Commit a Burglary: According to Florida Statute § 843.22, the extent of the burglary will be recategorized to the next greater degree in the event that a suspected offender who perpetrates a burglary has traveled any distance for the purpose of committing a burglary in any county in Florida that is not the suspected offender’s current town of residence
Broward County Obstructing Justice Penalties
The potential sentences for any convicted offender will rely on the precise categorization of the offense that was committed. The legal maximums for these penalties according to Florida law are listed as the following:
- Second-Degree Misdemeanor: As long as 60 days in county jail and fines of as much as $500
- First-Degree Misdemeanor: As long as one year in county jail and fines of as much as $1,000
- Third-Degree Felony: As long as five years in state prison and fines of as much as $5,000
- Second-Degree Felony: As long as 15 years in state prison and fines of as much as $10,000
- First-Degree Felony: As long as 30 years in state prison and fines of as much as $10,000
- Life Felony: As long as life in state prison and fines of as much as $15,000
In nonprofessional terms, any person who intentionally meddles with an ongoing criminal investigation could potentially be faced with charges for obstruction of justice. Seeing as how it is a process crime, meaning that it is a crime that was committed against the judicial process itself, and not a violent crime, the majority of people who are charged neglect to take these charges of obstruction of justice very seriously and decide to go ahead without any legal representation. Depending on the severity of the crime, however, you could be facing a lot of years behind bars.
The Fort Lauderdale obstruction of justice criminal defense attorneys here at the offices of Musca Law have over 150 years of collective experience and have worked a multitude of cases that are very much like your case. It is very easy for people to unknowingly obstruct justice and now they have committed a crime without even realizing it. Our criminal defense attorneys do not think that anyone needs to be punished for a criminal act that not only did you not intend to commit, but were completely unaware that you had done so. Schedule a meeting today to meet with a qualified obstruction of justice attorney at Musca Law. We will thoroughly examine your case and go over all of your potential avenues of legal defense in regard to your pending Federal Obstruction of Justice Charge. With over 150 years of combined legal experience among our team of highly qualified attorneys, Musca Law has successfully tried numerous juvenile cases throughout the history of our firm. Don’t hesitate to contact us today at (954) 302-5391 to schedule a free initial case consultation with one of the experienced attorneys in our Fort Lauderdale office.