What should I o if I was involved in an altercation in a bar and a detective wants to question me about it?

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What should I o if I was involved in an altercation in a bar and a detective wants to question me about it?

I didn’t hit anyone but someone I was with pushed someone. The other party filed a report. If questioned, do I have to tell the name of the person that did the pushing,

Asked on April 5, 2015 under Criminal Law, Illinois

Answers:

SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 8 years ago | Contributor

Yes, you would have to tell the police:

1) Lying to the police, and/or interferring with a police investigation, are crimes: you could potentially face charges yourself for withholding the information.

2) The 5th Amendment only applies to information which could incriminate yourself, not which might incriminate others; unless the person who pushed was your spouse (there is a spousal privilege), there is no basis for not disclosing his/her name to the police.


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