Obstruction of justice broadly refers to actions by individuals that illegally prevent or influence the outcome of a government proceeding.
(18 U.S.C. 1512(c), 1512(d)) Subsection 1512(c) proscribes obstruction of official proceedings by destruction of evidence and is punishable by imprisonment for not more than 20 years.
Obstruction is a broad crime that may include acts such as perjury, making false statements to officials, witness tampering, jury tampering, destruction of evidence, and many others.
An obstruction blocks things, like a roadblock prevents drivers to enter a street or a piece of food cuts off your windpipe. All types of obstructions block things. If you put a shelf in your doorway, that would be an obstruction: people would have a hard time getting around it.
: the crime or act of willfully interfering with the process of justice and law especially by influencing, threatening, harming, or impeding a witness, potential witness, juror, or judicial or legal officer or by furnishing false information in or otherwise impeding an investigation or legal process.
At its core, obstruction of justice, involves any act that interferes with the proper functioning of the legal system or the investigation of a crime. This interference can manifest in various forms, such as witness tampering, destruction of evidence, lying to investigators, or obstructing court proceedings.
A person will be guilty of violating O.C.G.A. §16-10-24(a) when they knowingly or willfully obstruct or hinder any law enforcement officer in the lawful discharge of his official duties. The penalty for a misdemeanor conviction in Georgia is a fine up to $1,000, jail time up to one year, or both.
At its core, obstruction of justice, involves any act that interferes with the proper functioning of the legal system or the investigation of a crime. This interference can manifest in various forms, such as witness tampering, destruction of evidence, lying to investigators, or obstructing court proceedings.