Rockford Resisting Arrest Lawyer

Resisting Arrest is a Serious Criminal Offense in Illinois

Resisting arrest is a Class A Misdemeanor. Illinois statute 720 ILCS 5/31-1 states:

A person who knowingly resists or obstructs the performance by one known to the person to be a peace officer, firefighter, or correctional institution employee of any authorized act within his official capacity commits a Class A misdemeanor.

The range of penalties for the charge of Resisting Arrest is up to 364 days in jail, fines up to $2,500, and up to 24 months conditional discharge or probation. This offense is not eligible for supervision. Additionally, the minimum penalty for a conviction is two days in jail or 100 hours of public service work. Resisting arrest is viewed as a serious offense by the Illinois Criminal Justice System, since it is not eligible for supervision and a conviction could follow you the rest of your life.

Acts that can be considered resisting arrest include:

• Physical acts, such as fleeing and hiding from, or struggling with a police officer
• Giving false identification, either verbally or by presenting a fake ID
• Trying to assist another person in avoiding arrest or questioning by police
• Threatening a police officer

When facing resisting arrest charges, it is essential to find a skilled lawyer as early in the process as possible to ensure the best possible outcome. Criminal defense attorney Paul M. Marriett has successfully defended all manner of resisting-arrest charges and pursues all available legal options gets cases of resisting arrest dismissed.

A typical legal maneuver used in the defense of these cases, for instance, is to file a motion requesting information about the personnel file of the police officer involved in the arrest. It also is not possible to intentionally resist a police officer if you do not know the person is an officer of the law, especially if it’s an undercover officer who did not verbally identify themselves.

Contact A Rockford Resisting Arrest Attorney For Help

If you or someone you know is are facing the charges of resisting arrest, obstruction of justice, assault on a police officer or a similar offense in Rockford, or anywhere in Winnebago County and the surrounding northern Illinois communities, contact the Law Office of Paul M. Marriett for a free consultation at (815) 391-0089 or by email here.