Suppose you witnessed a domestic violence situation. Maybe you didn’t want someone to get in trouble, and you do not tell the police what you saw. Can you get in trouble for that? Yes. However, they would have to have concrete evidence and prove in court that you lied.
More common than not telling what you did see is making up things that you didn’t see. First of all, that is despicable thing to do. Domestic violence is one of the most serious criminal offenses. In fact, if the alleged victim wants to drop the charges in the future, they can’t. Only the prosecution can decide whether or not to drop the charges. People know how seriously domestic violence accusations are taken and may make false accusations due to ulterior motives. Accusations of domestic violence can ruin someone’s life.
Why would someone do that? There are lots of reasons. Perhaps you want to improve your position in a child custody dispute. The most common reason is revenge. Perhaps someone wants to save their reputation by making it appear that the other party was at fault,
The effects of the accusation on the partner, however, could include:
- Loss of family and/or friend relationships
- Loss of a job
- Jail time, fines, and other criminal penalties
- A criminal conviction on record
Don’t do it. Don’t lie.
Under certain circumstances, lying about domestic violence is a crime. Perjury is when an individual lies under oath during an official investigation, either in a written or verbal statement. While individuals who lie about domestic violence may be charged with perjury, it is unlike to happen. Additionally, the accuser could be charged with filing a false police report, a misdemeanor offense.
The individual who was falsely accused may file a civil lawsuit against the accuser to receive compensation for any damages caused by the allegation.
Alexander Truluck focuses his practice as a criminal defense attorney in Clearwater, Palm Harbor, Largo, Dunedin and the Tampa Bay area.
For more information, visit our website at http://www.criminallawyerclearwaterflorida.com
or call (727) 799-3550.