In general, it is unwise to hide evidence against you or lie to an officer. It is far wiser to simply ask to speak to an attorney and refuse to say anything else about the matter. Obstruction of justice is a term that gets thrown around in many different contexts, from simple altercations with law enforcement to large scale investigations into some of the most powerful people in the world today. It is important to understand that obstruction of justice is a truly serious crime that may present heavy penalties to those who commit it.
You certainly don’t want to make a bad situation worse by obstructing justice. Be sure that you understand some of the most common forms of justice obstruction. Two of the most common types of obstruction of justice are lying to an officer of the law and concealing or destroying evidence. If you think these are not serious charges, think again. These charges often play a key part in the prosecution of very powerful people.
Both of these responses may occur naturally as a part of the human response to a threat of danger. It is crucial that you do not give in to the temptation to be untruthful to an officer of the law or hide evidence that may incriminate you. If you do lie to the officer or hide evidence and it is later found out, your charges will probably gain momentum.
This is why many movies and television shows depict suspects asking to see their lawyer the moment anything goes sideways. In general, refusing to speak about something and simply requesting to speak with your lawyer is a wise move. There is nothing incriminating about simply requesting to exercise your rights as a person. Be sure to take all the steps you can to protect yourself and avoid obstruction of justice charges.
Source: Findlaw, “What Is Obstruction of Justice?,” accessed Dec. 08, 2017
