Fleeing the scene is one of the most common responses to doing something wrong, and while most people surrender when police try to stop them, some people find the potential consequences too intimidating to face, and they run. While this reaction is fairly instinctual, it is still a crime, and the penalties for evading the police are sometimes worse than the penalties the person may face for their original crime. Fortunately, it is possible to fight police evasion charges with the help of top Vista criminal attorneys.

Most police evasion charges are misdemeanors, but when drivers resort to using reckless driving tactics to avoid the law or caused any kind of property damage, the crime can be increased to a felony. If you are convicted of felony reckless evasion charges, you will face a minimum six month jail sentence and up to a  maximum of three years in state prison.  You also face the loss of your driver’s license. If the crime is a misdemeanor, you will face a sentence of up to one year in jail and $1,000 in fines.

It is important to realize that while most evasion cases involve motor vehicles, you can still be charged with this crime if you were riding a bike or on foot. In order for the prosecution to prove you are guilty of fleeing the police, they must show that you were intentionally evading a police officer who was driving a marked vehicle with at least one lit red lamp that was visible from the front that was in your view. The officer must also have been in a distinctive uniform and sounded the siren as needed. If all of these requirements were not met, a defense attorney in Vista should be able to show there is not enough evidence for you to be found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

If you have been accused of evading the police or similar charges, such as resisting arrest, a Vista defense lawyer like Peter M. Liss can help. Please call (760) 643-4050 to schedule a free initial consultation.

Creative Commons Image by Craig ONeal