How do you defend yourself of accusations of making a false report to police in Utah?

If charges are to be filed against you, you need a lawyer.

You can't be guilty of making a false statement if:

* You thought the statement was true,

* You believed the statement was true,

* You simply withheld information.

If the police believe they can prove that you knew at the time your statements were false, that you intentionally lied, and that the lies were important in an investigation, you could get charged and convicted of a misdemeanor. If someone was harmed as a result of your lie, it could be a felony.

A lawyer can be good at showing that you might have had reason to believe what you told police, making the event non-actionable.

The lesson here is to tell police (instead of lying):

* I don't recall clearly

* I don't know

* I can't say

* I don't think I should answer that

* I don't understand the question

* I need to speak to my attorney before answering that question.