Columbus Falsification Lawyer
Helping Individuals in Columbus Defend against a Criminal Falsification Charge
If you tell a lie to a government official including a police officer, court employee, or judge, it can result in justice being delayed. Moreover, telling a lie to a government officer is also a criminal offense in the State of Ohio. You may also face criminal charges if you lie, and as a result, you are able to obtain a thing of value. Specifically, you may be charged with anything from a first-degree misdemeanor up to a third-degree felony.
A criminal conviction on a falsification charge can result in serious penalties, including jail time. An experienced Columbus falsification lawyer at the Joslyn Law Firm can represent you throughout your criminal case and during all of your in-court proceedings. Our legal team will work hard to help you obtain the best result possible in your criminal case.
Please give us a call today at (614) 444-1900 or contact us online to learn more about how we could assist you with defending against your criminal falsification charge.
Overview of Falsification in OH
- What is Criminal Falsification?
- Can You Face Jail time for Falsification?
- Reach an Experienced Attorney
What is Criminal Falsification?
It is against the law in Ohio for someone to knowingly make a false statement in certain situations, such as when talking to law enforcement officers. Charges can result when a person makes a deceptive statement under one or more of the following circumstances:
- The person makes a statement with the intention of incriminating some other individual
- The person makes his or her statement during an official legal proceeding
- The person makes a statement in order to obtain some kind of government benefit, including disability, unemployment compensation, of coverage for health care
- The person makes his or her statement with the intention of misleading a public official while the official is in the course of one or more official duties
- The person makes a statement under oath to a notary public or some other individual who has the ability to administer oaths as part of his or her professional capacity
- The person makes his or her statement in order to obtain a permit, license, or some other form of government-issued authorization
- The person makes a written statement with the intention of convincing another individual to offer a job, honor, credit, degree, or some other item of value
- The person makes a written statement in connection with some legal return or report
- The person makes a statement under oath in court
- The person makes a statement with the intention of bringing about a theft
- The person makes the statement in order to buy a firearm – and also provides fake identification
- The person makes a statement on a form, stamp, account, label, or record that is required under the law
- The person makes the statement in connection with an application for a permit to carry a concealed weapon
- The person makes the statement in a document that appears to be a lien, judgment, or indebtedness claim that was filed with an entity, such as a country recorder, secretary of state, or court clerk
- The person makes the statement in order to have tobacco products, such as cigarettes, either shipped or sold to him or her
If you are facing criminal falsification charges under one of these circumstances, it is important that you have a Columbus falsification attorney on your side advocating for you throughout your criminal matter.
Can You Face Jail Time for Falsification Convictions?
If you plead guilty or are convicted of criminal falsification, your sentence will depend on the circumstances of your offense. For example, if you are charged with and convicted of first-degree misdemeanor falsification, a judge may sentence you to a maximum of 180 days in jail, along with a maximum fine of $1,000.
If you are found guilty and convicted of falsification during the course of a theft offense, the penalty you receive will likely depend upon the monetary value of the services or goods stolen. As a general rule, theft offenses are charged as first-degree misdemeanors. If the value of the services or goods ranges from $1,000 to $7,500, however, then you could be convicted of a fifth-degree felony offense. A fifth-degree felony conviction carries a maximum penalty of 12 months in jail, along with a maximum fine of $2,500.
Moreover, if the value of the stolen property totals somewhere in the range of $7,500 and $150,000, you could be convicted of a fourth-degree felony offense. A conviction for that charge could lead to a maximum of 18 months in prison, along with a maximum monetary fine of $5,000. Finally, if the value of the stolen property has a value in excess of $150,000, you could face a third-degree felony charge, and a conviction can result in a maximum of five years in prison, along with $10,000 in fines.
Finally, if your falsification charge stems from a firearm offense, you can be sentenced to a fifth-degree felony. For a conviction, a judge may sentence you to up to 12 months in jail and a maximum of $2,500 in monetary fines. You will be charged with a fourth-degree felony if the falsification charge involves a concealed handgun license.
Contact a Columbus Falsification Lawyer Today
If you have been criminally charged with falsification in Columbus, one of the best defenses that you can raise is a lack of knowledge or intent. If you were unaware that the information was not true – and you did not lie intentionally – then the prosecutor will not likely be able to satisfy his or her legal burden.
The knowledgeable white collar crime legal team at the Joslyn Law Firm is ready to help defend you against your criminal falsification charge. We represent those charged in Central Ohio Counties which include, Franklin County, Union County, Madison County, Pickaway County, Licking County, and Delaware counties. To schedule a free case evaluation and legal consultation with a Columbus falsification attorney, please call us at (614) 444-1900 to learn more about how we can assist you.
Additional White Collar Crime Defense
We also provide defense lawyers for these other types of white collar crimes in Columbus, OH and central Ohio:
