If You Commit a Crime What Should Your Family Do

What to Do If a Family Fellow member Is Involved in Crime

Attempt equally we might, no person is perfect. And some of those non-perfect people are our family members. This leaves us non-criminal family unit members with some tough choices to make. Does a girl need drug therapy? Should yous call the cops on your cousin? Is it time to consult with a lawyer?

Here are simply a few of the legal considerations y'all should keep in mind if you've got a family unit member who is in involved in criminal activity.

Lend a Manus

Drug addiction and the criminal convictions that could go paw-in-paw with habit are serious issues. Despite some states relaxing their drug laws, drug possession penalties remain harsh and drug addiction can turn mortiferous.

You tin can observe substance abuse resource in every state, at both the individual and public level. The Substance Corruption and Mental Health Services Assistants tin can locate treatment centers virtually you. Hopefully, a family member battling with addiction can find help earlier it turns into a more serious criminal affair.

Liability

Unfortunately, family members may non exist able to just throw their hands upwardly and say, "that'south their trouble." In certain cases, you could be liable for the crimes your family members commit. Most of this criminal responsibility is placed on parents, and it can cover a wide range of criminal activity:

• Parental liability for gun crimes: Parents who intermission gun storage laws and fail to secure a firearm could be guilty of a crime if a minor uses that firearm to commit a crime or injure or kill someone;
• Parental liability for truancy: Missing school excessively is a law-breaking, and parents whose children skip school besides much can be charged with truancy-related crimes;
• Parental liability for bullying: Under some state laws, parents tin can exist criminally liable of failing to supervise or command their children, which could identify them on the hook if their child is a bully; and
• Parental liability for underage DUI: Depending on their knowledge and interest with the underage drinking, parents could be charged with crime if their child commits a drunk driving offence while the child is withal underage.

But criminal liability isn't limited to parents. If yous're living with a family unit member, you could be liable for their drug dealing.

And these are just the means y'all could be unintentionally liable for a criminal offence. If y'all intend to aid a family unit member you know is involved in criminal activity, there is a whole host of crimes yous could be charged with yourself.

Even if you're not nowadays when the criminal offense itself is committed, if you lot have cognition of the offense before or later on the fact, and assist at all in its commission through any advice, actions, or fiscal back up, you lot could be charged with aiding and abetting the crime or equally an accessory to the crime. And in most cases, an accomplice faces the aforementioned punishment every bit the person who committed the criminal offence.

The last thing yous desire to do is agree to commit a crime with a family member. Conspiracy liability can extend to everyone who knew about the plan and intended to break the police force, fifty-fifty if the person didn't participate, and even if the crime itself isn't committed. Not but that, but you tin be charged with conspiracy and the underlying crime, which doubles your criminal liability.

Legal Obligations

While in that location is a lot you're not supposed to do if a family member is committing criminal acts, there's a lot you may need to exercise. This part isn't easy -- no one wants to get a family fellow member in trouble -- but there are times when you might take to.

For the virtually part, civilians practise not have to report a law-breaking if they see 1. Only, as demonstrated above, in that location are sure cases where a person'southward failure to report a crime could be seen as complicity or fifty-fifty conspiracy. Additionally, some states crave reporting of certain crimes, fifty-fifty when the person is not involved. For instance, many states require anyone who suspects a child is being abused or neglected to report it to the police, and failure to study could be a criminal offence in itself.

Whether required to or not, calling the cops on a family member can exist heartbreaking, if not potentially unsafe. You can cull to study a crime anonymously or even silently via an app.

Lawyer Up

Finally, if a family member is involved in criminal offence, he or she will likely demand the advice of an experienced criminal defense attorney. There's a lot a criminal defence force lawyer tin can practice that the average person can't, like properly assessing a case, negotiating with prosecutors, helping with a criminal trial, and handling appeals or expungement.

Even if it'southward only a misdemeanor charge and even if your family unit fellow member is going to plead guilty, he or she will want to consult with an attorney.

Related Resources:

• Browse Criminal Defence force Lawyers by Location (FindLaw Directory)
• What to Do If Y'all Witness a Criminal offence (FindLaw Blotter)
• Criminal Procedure (FindLaw Blotter)
• Criminal Law Nuts (FindLaw)

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Source: https://www.findlaw.com/legalblogs/law-and-life/what-to-do-if-a-family-member-is-involved-in-crime/

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