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Making false statements to a police officer in Arizona can land you in legal hot water. False Reporting to a Law Enforcement Agency, pursuant to Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-2907.01, makes it a Class 1 Misdemeanor to knowingly make a fraudulent or unfounded report or statement or to knowingly misrepresent a fact for the purpose of interfering with the orderly operation of a law enforcement agency or misleading a peace officer.
How could this come about in your case? Say you were pulled over on suspicion of a DUI in Phoenix and the officer asks you how many drinks you’ve had. Say you tell him you’ve had none, but an intoxilyzer at the station later shows a Breath Alcohol Concentration below a 0.08 but above a 0. You may find yourself not being charged with a DUI but being charged with False Reporting because you knowingly misrepresented your drinking history to the officer for the purpose of misleading him. This may sound like fantasy, but it happens.
A Class 1 Misdemeanor is punishable by up to 6 months in jail, a fine of up to $2,500 plus surcharges, and up to 3 years of probation. But False Reporting is a different sort of offense. It is considered a crime of dishonesty, and so it can lead to substantial problems down the line for you in obtaining licensing, loans, and immigration status.
Don’t face these consequences alone. False Reporting is a serious charge and you need serious representation. The Phoenix criminal defense attorneys at AZ Defenders have decades of combined experience in handling these cases. You need aggressive and effective representation to make sure that you don’t wind up losing your rights, liberty, and good name. Call today at 480-456-6400 or contact us online for a free consultation.