ETA - I have helped hide someone (my sister) from the police in the past, I should mention - but that was the past and so in another country, and the police were an arm of the oppressive State and they had killed people like my sister. I wouldn’t do it today with the current laws and circumstances.
Child abuse.
Possibly treason – it would depend on what the person did and why.
I love my wife and sister more than I love this nation, or any of you hosers. And my moral code is an abstraction. I adhere to it because I think it’s generally the best way to do good to actual people, not because adhering to it for its own sake is itself a good.
I would for siblings and a very few close friends. I would likely propose renting them a hotel room in my name where they could safely spend the night to avoid risk to my family.
In order to address fully the OPer’s main question, “Is there anyone in your life you can imagine helping out in this situation?” I need to reorganize the circumstances given in the OP. Thus, so I won’t be using the “Quote” function. I hope that’s permissible. If not, I ask the mods to advise me.
First off, my friends know I’m enough of a literal-minded, legalistic nit-picker to know not to ask me to abet a fugitive from justice. But if someone were foolhardy enough to knock on my door and tell me,
- he has committed an act which he believes was justified by the circumstances, but is nonetheless technically illegal (a felony);
- he has every reason believe that, on the facts alone, he’d be found guilty at trial;
- a quick sketch of the details;
- as far as he knows, the police do not yet suspect him of this crime;
- nonetheless, he has made arrangements to leave the country;
- he wants me to put him up for the night;
then…
Generally speaking, I would advise him he needs to speak with a criminal defense attorney. If he doesn’t have one, I would give him the names of a few, and give him enough time (and privacy) to make initial contact with at least one. That’s as far as I would go in terms of harboring a (suspected) fugitive.
I would then, in classic Perry-Mason style, advise him to check into a small, but not seedy, motel under his own name. If law enforcement locates him, he is to tell them he will not speak to them without an attorney present and then keep his trap shut until his attorney is present.
I would then consult my attorney at the earliest convenience about what my legal obligations are in this matter. It doesn’t matter what my acquaintance knows or thinks he knows about the status of the police investigation. The police may very well be on his trail, and I would be a fool to take his word that they are not and then harbor him, as that could be held against me independently of any prosecution of him.
All this is predicated on the alleged act being a non-violent one. If it were a violent one (including anything perpetrated against a minor), I probably would tell him he cannot come in, and that he needs to contact immediately a criminal attorney and follow the attorney’s advice. I would then wish him luck, close the door, then contact my attorney, etc.
And, finally, as far as “he doesn’t want to tell me where he’s going, so that I don’t have to lie to the authorities if they ever ask,”…
ROTFLMFAO!!! By telling me the details of a felony he has committed (supposedly), then asking me to harbor a possible fugitive from justice, he’s already gotten me into a big steaming pile of legal doodoo. [sarcasm]How considerate of him not to ask me to add obstructing justice (interfering with the course of a police investigation) to the list.[/sarcasm]
My list is short: my spouse, one best friend, two sisters in law. I trust their judgement. Incidentally it’s the same list of people I’d trust to raise my kids in my absence.
My kids are not on the list, being kids, but if they grow up to be who they seem to be growing up to be, then I would trust they were justified in their illegal actions and help them too.
Definitely more than one. Or even a lot more than one.
It 100% depends on whether or not I think they were justified in breaking the law. If so, I help. If not, I don’t. I’ll put morality above the law, but not friendship above morality.
Okay, maybe not 100%. The only issue is whether I trust them not to get me in trouble if they get caught. I guess that’s the only place the identity figures in. I’d say there are a few family members I trust that much. I’ve had friends in the past that I’d trust that much, but those friendships are now gone.
But, like I said, no amount of friendship will allow me overlook something I feel is wrong. I can forgive people, sure, but I won’t help them escape the consequences. As far as I’m concerned, if I help a rapist get away from the police, I’m just as guilty as he is.