If you have been charged with tampering with a witness or informant in Florida then you may have a defense. Even if you don’t think you have a defense, you should always speak to an attorney to make sure you have a full understanding of how the law applies specifically to your case. If you want to know more about how to beat your tampering case in Florida, contact Matthew Williams now for a free consultation.
Tampering with a witness or informant in Florida is defined under Florida Statute 914.22(1). A person commits the crime of tampering with a witness or informant when they:
- knowingly use intimidation or physical force, or threaten another person, or attempt to do so, or engage in misleading conduct toward another person, or offer a pecuniary benefit or gain to another person;
- with the intent to cause or induce any person to:
- withhold testimony, records, documents, or other evidence, from an official investigation or proceeding;
- Alter, destroy, mutilate, or conceal evidence with the intent to impair its integrity or availability for use in an official investigation or proceeding;
- Evade a subpoena to appear or to produce tangible evidence in an official investigation or proceeding;
- Be absent from an official proceeding to which such person has been subpoenaed;
- Hinder, delay, or prevent the communication of information relating to a crime or violation of probation, parole or release, to a law enforcement officer or judge; or
- Testify untruthfully in an official investigation or proceeding.
The penalties associated with tampering with a witness depend on the severity of the underlying charge, with the tampering charge being one level higher than the underlying offense. Tampering is a third-degree felony if the tampering was in response to a misdemeanor charge; tampering is a second-degree felony if the tampering was done in response to a third-degree felony charge, and tampering is a first-degree felony if the tampering was done in response to a second or first-degree felony charge.
Criminal convictions, especially convictions involving obstruction, carry severe consequences and can never be removed from your criminal record. If you are convicted of a felony you will lose your right to vote, your right to own firearms, and your ability to maintain certain business licenses. You can also lose your ability to receive financial aid, your ability to live in certain places and your ability to obtain a passport.
If you need an attorney who will advise you, fight for your rights, and do everything possible to protect your future, or if someone you know has been charged with tampering with a witness or informant in Florida, then contact Matthew Williams now for a free consultation.