Q: What if an officer signs a criminal complaint under penalty of PA title 18 S 4904 that he KNOWS is untrue?
It is a DUI case and he has the height listed as 7' 74" tall and showing that the driver was driving on a 16 year old expired drivers license. He did not file a charge for the license because it was not actually expired.
A: If an officer lies in police paperwork, that could be used to impeach the officer at a motion to suppress or trial. Depending on how big the lie/mistake/omission is, the error could have an impact on whether the judge or jury believes the officer. In most cases, officers do not face any kind of charges or damage to their careers unless they are caught on video engaging in police brutality or falsifying evidence. But it could be helpful to your case. Speak with your attorney about it.
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