# Is it illegal to lie to a police officer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 31, 2005, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-lie-to-a-police-officer/315035 "2005-07-31T20:33:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2005, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-lie-to-a-police-officer/315035/61 "2005-08-02T00:17:42Z")
> [@Aangelica](#): > > **rbroome** , you have to knowingly lie for criminal liability to attach. So if you give information to the police that you believe to be true at the time you give it, you have committed no crime. > > I’m more interested in what the case would be if you chose not to answer an officer of the law making inquiries at all. I don’t recall it coming up in Crim Law class. > > Provided you are only being questioned for background information, would criminal liability attach if you simply didn’t answer the officer. The First Amendment right covers _not_ speaking as well. I assume, but am in no way certain, that you cannot be prosecuted for refusing to speak to an officer. **Bricker**? > > I assume it would make the police officers suspicious as hell, though. Thanks! I feel better. Even though I realize that no one here is my lawyer etc etc. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2005, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-lie-to-a-police-officer/315035/62 "2005-08-02T04:08:39Z")
> [@groman](#): > > The bottom line is that you keep your mouth entirely shut and not answer any question other “What is your name?” the biggest thing that they can probably put you away for is contempt of the court when you’re put on the stand. It would be difficult if not impossible to prove onbstruction of justice if you just play mute. Actually, if you’re subpoenaed to testify in court, you HAVE to testify. You don’t have the right to remain silent, and you have an obligation to tell the truth. Yes, you can keep your mouth shut if the police are interrogating you, even if you aren’t a suspect. However, if you’re called as a witness at someone else’s trial, you can’t refuse to talk. You do have the option of refusing to testify about specific things if you believe you might incriminate yourself, but you don’t have a broad right to silence. I believe that the authorities can even force you to testify to acts that would incriminate you…they just have to immunize you against prosecution first. So say you are robbing a grocery store, across the street you witness a murder. You refuse to testify at the murder trial on the grounds that you’d have to testify that you were robbing a grocery store when you witnessed the crime. The prosecution can force you to testify by immunizing you against prosecution for your statements at the trial…I believe they can do this even over your objections, although usually witnesses voluntarily arrange immunity deals in exchange for reduced sentences or withheld prosecution for their lesser crimes. I think I saw them do this on Law and Order once… ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2005, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-lie-to-a-police-officer/315035/63 "2005-08-02T04:22:25Z")
Fine! We were in Barney’s car eating mustard packets. Ya happy?!? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-lie-to-a-police-officer/315035.md?page=3)