Am I an accessory if I lie to the police?

Regarding a friends crime, you may think that you should help your friend get away with the crime by giving false information to the police.  It would be very unwise for you to lie to the police about the crime.  If you do so, you may be charged as an accessory after the fact or even with obstruction of justice.  This is because you can be seen as assisting your friend in getting away with the crime by providing false information that can hinder the police’s investigation of that crime.

Certainly, turning in a friend who commits a crime is rarely an easy decision and is a decision that is a personal one that you must make.  If you do not want to discuss your friend’s involvement in a crime, your best option is to decline answering the officer’s question about your friend and his/her involvement in the crime.  Other than identifying yourself, you do not have to answer the officer’s question about the investigation or anything else. 

Rarely, if ever, would you be charged with being an accomplice to your friend’s crime if you decline any of the officer’s questions, as you are not obstructing the police’s investigation (and justice) by giving false information to the police as you would by lying.

This also holds true for family members as well; while you may want to protect a relative who has committed a crime, you are only involving yourself in his/her crime if you lie for them in an attempt to hide the truth.

Talk to a criminal defense attorney for a case review and for obtaining legal advice regarding your options under criminal defense and accessory laws.