Can the police arrest someone for refusing to show their ID?
Question Details: A group of teens were at a bonfire and police stopped to question if any of them had been in a neighbor's yard. They requested to see everyone's ID and one person was arrested for refusing to show their ID. The officer called it obstruction of legal process.
Kevin Bessant / Law Office Of Kevin Bessant & Associates
Answered 8 months ago
This attorney is licensed in Michigan
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Refusing to identify yourself and provide proper identification to the police is a criminal offense in most states. The reason is that it obstructs an officer's ability to complete a valid investigation of a situation. These citations are normally reduced to a civil infraction and not a criminal misdemeanor in court.
