The Crime of Obstruction of Justice# WaterWorld - 未名水世界
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The crime of obstruction of justice
The crime of obstruction of justice refers to the crime of interfering with
the work of police, investigators, regulatory agencies, prosecutors, or
other (usually government) officials.
Generally, obstruction charges are laid when it is discovered that a person
questioned in an investigation, other than a suspect, has lied to the
investigating officers. If the person tried to protect a suspect (such as by
providing a false alibi, *****even if the suspect is in fact innocent) ****
*or to hide from investigation their own activities (such as to hide his
involvement in another crime), this may leave them liable to prosecution.
Obstruction charges can also be laid if a person alters or destroys physical
evidence, even if he was under no compulsion at any time to produce such
evidence. Often, no actual investigation or substantiated suspicion of a
specific incident need exist to support a charge of obstruction of justice.
Cases of Obstruction
President Bill Clinton was impeached by the United States House of
Representatives in 1998 for obstruction of justice charges based on
allegations Clinton lied about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky in a
sworn deposition in the Paula Jones lawsuit. This made Clinton only the
second U.S. president to be impeached after Andrew Johnson. It's immoral to
have sex in office but it is criminal to lie under oath (hence committing
obstruction).
President Richard Nixon was being investigated for obstruction of justice
for his alleged role in the cover-up of the break-in at the Watergate hotel
during his 1972 re-election campaign. Although it is unknown whether Nixon
had foreknowledge of his re-election committee's "dirty tricks" campaign
against Democratic presidential candidates that led to the break-in, he was
aware of it after the fact and paid money to keep the participants quiet.
Former Vice-Presidential adviser I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby was convicted of
obstruction of justice in March 2007 for his role in the investigation of a
leak to reporters that named a CIA agent, Valerie Plame. His prison sentence
was commuted by President George W. Bush in July 2007, so that Libby was no
longer required to serve a two and a half year prison sentence, but still
required to pay a $250,000 fine, be recorded as a convicted felon, and obey
probation terms.
Barry Bonds was convicted of obstruction of justice on April 13, 2011 for
his testimony in front of the grand jury during the BALCO steroid scandal.
College Football coach and legend Joe Paterno, in November 2011, was fired
by the university as a result of the child sex abuse scandal involving his
former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. An investigation conducted by FBI
concluded in July 2012 that Paterno concealed facts relating to Sandusky's
sexual abuse of young boys. The investigation also uncovered information
that Paterno may have persuaded university officials not to report Sandusky
to authorities in 2001. On July 23, 2012, the NCAA vacated all of Penn State
's wins from 1998 through 2011 as part of its punishment for the child sex
abuse scandal, eliminating 111 of the games Paterno had coached and won,
dropping him from second to 12th on the list of winningest NCAA football
coaches.
The crime of obstruction of justice refers to the crime of interfering with
the work of police, investigators, regulatory agencies, prosecutors, or
other (usually government) officials.
Generally, obstruction charges are laid when it is discovered that a person
questioned in an investigation, other than a suspect, has lied to the
investigating officers. If the person tried to protect a suspect (such as by
providing a false alibi, *****even if the suspect is in fact innocent) ****
*or to hide from investigation their own activities (such as to hide his
involvement in another crime), this may leave them liable to prosecution.
Obstruction charges can also be laid if a person alters or destroys physical
evidence, even if he was under no compulsion at any time to produce such
evidence. Often, no actual investigation or substantiated suspicion of a
specific incident need exist to support a charge of obstruction of justice.
Cases of Obstruction
President Bill Clinton was impeached by the United States House of
Representatives in 1998 for obstruction of justice charges based on
allegations Clinton lied about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky in a
sworn deposition in the Paula Jones lawsuit. This made Clinton only the
second U.S. president to be impeached after Andrew Johnson. It's immoral to
have sex in office but it is criminal to lie under oath (hence committing
obstruction).
President Richard Nixon was being investigated for obstruction of justice
for his alleged role in the cover-up of the break-in at the Watergate hotel
during his 1972 re-election campaign. Although it is unknown whether Nixon
had foreknowledge of his re-election committee's "dirty tricks" campaign
against Democratic presidential candidates that led to the break-in, he was
aware of it after the fact and paid money to keep the participants quiet.
Former Vice-Presidential adviser I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby was convicted of
obstruction of justice in March 2007 for his role in the investigation of a
leak to reporters that named a CIA agent, Valerie Plame. His prison sentence
was commuted by President George W. Bush in July 2007, so that Libby was no
longer required to serve a two and a half year prison sentence, but still
required to pay a $250,000 fine, be recorded as a convicted felon, and obey
probation terms.
Barry Bonds was convicted of obstruction of justice on April 13, 2011 for
his testimony in front of the grand jury during the BALCO steroid scandal.
College Football coach and legend Joe Paterno, in November 2011, was fired
by the university as a result of the child sex abuse scandal involving his
former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. An investigation conducted by FBI
concluded in July 2012 that Paterno concealed facts relating to Sandusky's
sexual abuse of young boys. The investigation also uncovered information
that Paterno may have persuaded university officials not to report Sandusky
to authorities in 2001. On July 23, 2012, the NCAA vacated all of Penn State
's wins from 1998 through 2011 as part of its punishment for the child sex
abuse scandal, eliminating 111 of the games Paterno had coached and won,
dropping him from second to 12th on the list of winningest NCAA football
coaches.