obstruction of justice
Blocking legal proceedings
Obstruction of justice is the crime of interfering with legal proceedings or law enforcement investigations.
It covers a range of actions: destroying evidence, lying to investigators, tampering with witnesses, or helping someone evade arrest.
The charge applies whether or not the underlying crime being investigated actually occurred.
He was acquitted of fraud but convicted of obstruction of justice for shredding documents.
- briberyCorrupt payment for influence
- silent treatmentRefusing to speak
- compoundingElements merging progressively
- perjuryCriminal courtroom dishonesty
- evidence tamperingCorrupting material proof
contempt of court · false evidence · smoking gun · witness tampering · concealment · jury tampering · hush money · misdirection · aiding and abetting · cover-up · destroying evidence · prosecutorial misconduct · taking the fifth · judicial misconduct · misidentification · forswearing · complicity · collusion
- crimesarson, burglary, robbery, kidnapping, vandalism
- corruptioncorruption, graft, kickbacks, bribery, bribes
- federal crimesbank robbery, kidnapping, counterfeiting, tax fraud, wire fraud
- impeachmentimpeachment, articles of impeachment, impeachment inquiry, high crimes, Senate trial
- political scandalsWatergate, Iran-Contra, Whitewater, Teapot Dome, coverup
- feloniesmurder, homicide, manslaughter, robbery, arson
obstruction of justiceturning state's evidence
coming forward · whistleblowing · self-reporting · full disclosure · cooperating witness
obstruction of justicetruth-telling
Communicating only facts
full disclosure · bearing witness · coming clean · confession · admission of guilt
obstruction of justicedue process
Guaranteed judicial fairness
judicial integrity · rule of law · law enforcement · prosecution · legal compliance
obstruct, obstructs, obstructed, obstructing, obstruction, obstructions, obstructive, justice, justices