If a police officer is investigating a murder, and I lie to the officer about

[muntrv]

knowing the victim, would the fact that the murder turned out to be a suicide absolve me of obstruction of justice?

I seriously doubt it, but it's a question I thought about when hearing the repubs spout off the "no underlying crime" line regarding Scooter Libby.

[BlooInBloo]

1. Attempted sucide is a crime.

[sandnsea]

2. If you handed the person the rope

There IS an underlying crime, they were covering up war lies. That's what we can't forget.

[TheWraith]

3. You wouldn't be culpable for obstruction either way.

Aparently, you can outright lie to a police officer in a criminal investigation without any danger of obstruction charges. That's what the police officers I've talked to say, at any rate.

However, the same is NOT true of federal agents, such as the FBI. Lying to an FBI agent is a federal felony in and of itself.

[BlooInBloo]

4. Then wikipedia is massively mistaken.

[TheWraith]

5. Or my local cops could be in error.

Admittedly, they are small town police, so they might not be the best informed--and they were at the time trying to explain why they couldn't bring heat on a local for lying about tresspassing. I can't be sure.

[BlooInBloo]

6. That's my assumption.

[sandnsea]

7. Somebody has to prove the lying

The cops can't just 'know' things. The reason they could bring charges against Libby is because of Tim Russert, and Ari Fleischer cutting a deal. There's evidence Libby lied. That's the difference. You can't lie to any cop about a crime. You certainly can't lie under oath. I think you misunderstood what your local cops said.

[Solo_in_MD]

8. In some jurisdiction it is a crime to give false information to a LEO, even if you think its true