Legal Question in Criminal Law in Washington

Re: Giving false information

To clear this up, you can go to the police department and turn yourself in. They will probabily want you to write a sworn statement against yourself and you may be arrested and cited right there at the station.

The most likely charge you�ll face as a result of what you did is one count of "making a false or misleading statement to a public servant" under RCW 9A.76.175. This is a gross misdemeanor punishable by up to 365 days in jail and a $5,000.00 fine. That said, turning yourself in could be viewed by the prosecutor as reason for leniency. And if you have no prior convictions for this sort of thing, you would probably only face a fine without any jail to serve upon your guilty plea or conviction.

However, my best recommendation is to speak with an attorney before you do anything. A conviction for making a false statement is a crime of deceit �a kind of fraud- and it could have a big impact on your future employment and your credit or financial opportunities. While I am in no way condoning what you did, the assistance of a wise legal counselor can ensure that you don�t unintentionally walk into a hornet�s nest and get eaten alive while simply trying to make amends.