Los Angeles Obstruction of Justice Lawyers

Los Angeles Obstruction of Justice Lawyers

Obstruction of justice is a broad term that can cover a wide range of different actions. To commit obstruction of justice, you must knowingly and intentionally interfere with or impede a government prosecution or investigation. When charges are brought against a person for obstruction of justice at the federal level, it is typically to make sure that law enforcement officials are able to do their job unimpeded. The sanctity of the criminal justice system must be respected.

You might be charged with obstruction of justice during any part of an investigation, sentencing, or the prosecution in between. Most commonly, federal charges are filed against people who make an active effort to tamper with court proceedings or investigations. Some of the crimes include:

• Bribing jury members
• Destroying evidence
• Witness tampering

Covering up a crime can sometimes have worse ramifications than actually committing the crime, especially if you get caught. Obstructing justice might apply to situations in which a person meant well but ended up impeding an investigation anyway.

There is also a concept called obstruction of evidence. This occurs when a person tries to destroy or tamper with evidence during a trial or investigation. The goal is to get rid of enough evidence that the prosecution can’t make a case stick. Obstructing evidence also occurs when you intimidate witnesses to coerce them out of giving testimony, or when you purposefully give false statements yourself. It might be considered if you interfere with court proceedings and actively try to make the evidence inadmissible in court.

Criminal obstruction is a serious crime, especially at the federal level. Whether you’ve been accused of obstruction of justice or obstruction of evidence, it’s important that you get in contact with an experienced lawyer as soon as possible. The point of obstruction charges is to make sure that people cannot interfere with the processes and duties carried out by the courts.

You might be surprised by how many different forms obstruction can take. Some of the different offenses include:

• You resisted or obstructed an extradition agent who was bringing you to another jurisdiction.
• You obstructed a law enforcement official who was executing a warrant.
• You interfered with any other federal investigation or trial process.
• You tried to injure or coerce a juror or officer of the court.
• You wrote to a juror to influence them.
• You obstructed general court proceedings in front of an official committee, agency, or department.
• You stole or altered a court record.
• You obstructed an order from the court or a criminal investigation.
• You interfered with a victim, informant, or witness.
• You retaliated against a victim, informant, or witness after their testimony.
• You paraded in front of or inside the courthouse to try to obstruct the justice proceedings.

Destroying or Concealing Records

There is a federal statute that dictates that if you destroy or alter any documentation in an attempt to influence a federal investigation, you might be charged with obstruction of justice. The penalties for this charge are severe. In fact, depending on the circumstances, you might be charged with a maximum of 20 years in prison.

In order for this charge to stick, the prosecutor has to do more than prove you destroyed or falsified documentation while being investigated. This is the case even when the destroyed documentation is critical to the federal investigation.

For a person to be convicted, the prosecutor needs to prove that the documents were relevant to federal investigations, and that you knew this, and that you purposefully destroyed the documents to keep them from being used as evidence.

This statute doesn’t just apply to paper documentation. It also applies to any tangible object that can be used as evidence.

In addition to applying to individuals, the statute can apply to private entities who try to keep information away from government agencies. Lawyers might use a number of different defenses to protect their clients from the charges. If the prosecutor manages to prove that you did destroy the documents, your lawyer might point out that they haven’t yet proven that you did so with an intent to obstruct justice.

There have been cases in which lawyers argued that acts such as document shredding were simply part of normal business. If the documents that were shredded happened to include important evidence, that isn’t the fault of the person doing the shredding.

There are a variety of other types of obstruction charges. One statute specifically states that you cannot keep a victim or witness from working with law enforcement or reporting a crime. If you interfere with witnesses during any criminal investigation, you might end up being sentenced to a maximum of five years in federal prison.

EXCELLENT Based on 362 reviews.

Charle Butler

2021-03-12

Verified

I was hesitant to hire the Spodek Law Group. I read reviews and knew they have a great reputation. However, I thought I would spend money and not see or speak to my attorney. From the beginning to end of my case Todd and the entire staff were available and willing to help. We worked towards and end result that was way above my expectation and Todd delivered. I am forever grateful for patience and long days and night spent working on my case. Thanks Todd and the entire team!

Mesonista parsons

2021-03-05

Verified

My attorney at Spodek was Abigail. She was very knowledgeable and helpful with all my questions and concerns, as well as responsive. Her fees are affordable and Abigail took the time to make sure I understood everything relating to my case. I highly recommend Abigail and will request her services in the future.

debabrata chakraborty

2021-03-03

Verified

Todd A Spodek is the experienced and best criminal lawyer at USA. He is very professional and always respond on time. Alex also very cooperative and always help me. They took care me and my problem like family member. I am 100% satisfied for their professional service. My result was unexpected and amazing. They dismissed my case. I am really grateful to them. I will recommend you to go there if you want to solve your problem. I wish all the best for them.

Asata Hendricks

2021-03-02

Verified

Truly appreciate the work the guys did!. Exceptional team & I know they care about each and everyone of their clients. I am super thankful to be referred to Spodek Law Group and I am grateful Todd & Alex were able to work diligently to achieve an outcome I am pleased with. Despite COVID they stayed on top of things and kept me informed every step of the way. Very thankful.

Mike Moroff

2021-02-26

Verified

I'm very satisfied with the services rendered by Todd, Alex and Mary Lou. I whole heartedly recommend Spodek Law Group . I've worked with and have retained other attorneys in the past with Todd's firm being the cream of the crop for many reasons. A very serious legal matter was resolved after a year's hard work and effort. Todd expertly guided me through the process and was able to navigate and make the good journey bearable as well as successful. Mary Lou initially provided excellent assistance before referring my case to Todd. Alex's support was effective and timely. The customer portal (MyCase) is an invaluable communication tool that also kept track of my case. Various aspects of my case were explained and there were several options provided but I made the final decision of how the case would be handled. The legal fee was reasonable considering the effort and amount of work plus it was a flat fee regardless of the length of time required to conclude my case. Todd made himself available to me and we had many scheduled meetings to go over the progress and to discuss the next steps. I felt more confident after many discussions with him. You will not go wrong choosing Spodek Law Group for legal matters.

Josh Katz

2021-02-24

Verified

Being that it was the first time that I was in need of an attorney, I was afraid and hesitant and knew I needed the absolute best. It is beyond understood why Spodek Law Group has a reputation of being the top, if not the best law firm in New York. Alex and Abigail were there every step of the way even at the most unconvenient hours. I could not have asked for more. They are extremely good at what they do and they delivered much much more than just winning my case. A big thank you to Alex and Abigail for all the guidance and counseling and their upmost loyal support that extended far more than just legally. If you need the absolute best than don't hesitate to hire Spodek Law Firm.

L.C.

2021-02-24

Verified

I cannot tell you how thankful I am to Todd and Alex for their hard work and dedication to my case. I had never been in any trouble before but I had an unfortunate event occur and in the midst of COVID-19 at that therefore I knew I needed a team that was dedicated to my success. Today- my case has been finalized and I’m walking away with no record and can continue life as a mother and a Grad student worry free. I cannot express enough gratitude for their assistance.

AnnMarie Soliman

2021-02-23

Verified

I received a summons and called Spodek law group for a free consultation. Alex took my call and was very quick and responsive. He was available anytime through multiple platforms and very reassuring when needed. They are extremely organized and thorough. They got my case dismissed! I’m very grateful. Thank you Alex and Todd!