Case of tampering with evidence illustrates need for L.A. defense lawyer to fight ridiculous charges
Our Los Angeles criminal defense lawyers were amused to see the report of a man being charged with tampering with evidence for allegedly picking up stolen bank proceeds at the side of the road.
Evidence of what? That someone lost money? Maybe he was going to take it to authorities. Maybe he was going to be the good Samaritan. Maybe he was going to put it in his pocket and go home on the luckiest day of his life! So what!
Like a charge of receiving stolen property in Los Angeles, tampering with evidence, aiding and abetting and other similar charges are frequently filed when a defendant fails to cooperate (which is his or her right) or otherwise annoys authorities in some fashion.
As we say here frequently: It just goes to show that authorities can charge you with anything they want -- it's what you are convicted of that counts. Unfortunately, detectives use such charges frequently in an effort to get someone to talk. Typically, talking only solidifies the charges you already face and often lands you and your friends in even more trouble.
That doesn't appear to be the case here, where the charges seem to fall squarely into the "annoyance" category. The Los Angeles Times reports that a man picked up a discarded money bag, which was involved in a bank robbery in Marina del Rey. While the bank robbers were apparently smart enough to jettison the trap, the defendant who thought he made a lucky find was not so lucky after all.
The dye pack in the money bag exploded inside his pocket, causing him to drop the bag and flee. A woman who saw the paint explosion wrote down his license number and called police. He was arrested at his Marina del Rey home a few blocks away.
Who among us would not stop to investigate a money bag sitting at the side of the road? Police can charge him with whatever they want but our guess is that an experienced defense lawyer will make quick work of this case. We can't even see a prosecutor moving forward with such a bogus charge.
