Woman Arrested for Assaulting Rockdale County Officer

A 26-year-old woman from New Jersey has been arrested on multiple charges in Rockdale County. These charges include aggravated assault in Georgia.

According to reports, the woman was arrested and slipped off her handcuffs and hit a police officer with them. She then reached for the officer's taser but was quickly restrained by other officers.

As a Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyer, I will outline one of the offenses that Crowell has been accused of committing: giving false information to a police officer.

Giving False Information in Georgia

Giving False Information in Georgia is defined by O.C.G.A. §16-10-25 as:

A person will be guilty of a crime when they give a false name, address, or date of birth to a law enforcement officer in the lawful discharge of his official duties with the intent of misleading the officer as to their identity or birthdate.

For example, let's say that “A” is driving his brother's car without his permission. “A” gets into a car accident, and the police are called. When questioned by police, he states his brother's name instead of his own name. This intentional lie about his identity would be considered giving an officer false information in Georgia.

Giving false information in Georgia is classified as a misdemeanor. That means that if convicted of giving false information, then an individual will be facing penalties of up to $1,000, up to 12 months in jail, or both.

Practice Note

Purposefully deceiving an officer is taken very seriously in our state. There are many crimes including obstruction in Georgia, removal of weapon from public official in Georgia, and transmitting false report of a crime in Georgia.

There are Georgia Criminal Defenses that can apply as with any other category of crime if someone is wrongfully accused. The most common defense in cases such as these are that the actions were unintentional or a result of confusion.

If you or a loved one has been arrested, contact a Georgia Criminal Defense Attorney today.