Basic Consequences Of Uncooperative Behavior And Resisting Arrest

Being arrested is never a pleasant event. Far from it, to say the least. After all, the law enforcement officers at times can be quite aggressive and harsh with the person, especially if the charges are serious. This is understandable, since it is their job, but such behavior may provoke a person and can make him do things that he will most definitely regret in the future.

With that said, resisting arrest is also not a very good idea, since it will lead to additional charges. According to the Penal Code, resisting arrest may lead to a $1000 fine or a year in county jail, depending on the person’s behavior as well as all the other charges. Person’s criminal past and any existing criminal records are also a huge factor and if it is not the first time the person is resisting arrest, the penalties will be much more severe.

To better illustrate how this works, let us review the following examples:

– If you were stopped at a DUI checkpoint and asked to step out of your vehicle. You refuse to do that and when the officer wants to see your license and registration, you are not willing to do that as well. The officer declares that you are showing all signs of being intoxicated and that you need to go through a series of field sobriety tests, so you insult the officer and refuse to cooperate in any manner. Such behavior will give the officer every right to pin you for resisting arrest (PENAL CODE SECTION 142-181) and in addition to your DUI charges, you will also have yet another charge to worry about.

– If you are driving through a DUI checkpoint and the law enforcement officers ask you to pull over. You ignore them and ignore every single warning; you keep on going, so the officers begin a pursuit. Finally, you are pinned down in some alley; you get out of the car and kick an officer. In that case you will not only be charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and resisting arrest – you will also be facing assault charges for attacking the policeman.

If you were arrested it is better to go with the flow and cooperate in every way possible. Of course, in case you were provoked and you had to do something you already regret, it is absolutely crucial to get in touch with a qualified as well as genuinely experienced criminal defense attorney at the earliest opportunity. Only a good Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer will be able to help you in a situation like this.

Even if you did resists and refused to cooperate in any manner, a good attorney will do what he can in order to prove that you were provoked by actions of the arresting officers. He will try to get those charges dismissed or at the very least lower the sentence. Regardless of what kind of crime you were charged with, do not hesitate to contact a lawyer and let him thoroughly review your case in order to come up with an effective solution.

Law Offices of Criminal Specialists, Los Angeles criminal attorney