Failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer is a serious offense. It is considered a first degree misdemeanor – the most serious misdemeanor offense – in Ohio.
ORC 2921.331(A) says:
Failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer is a serious offense. It is considered a first degree misdemeanor – the most serious misdemeanor offense – in Ohio.
ORC 2921.331(A) says:
“No person shall fail to comply with any lawful order or direction of any police officer invested with authority to direct, control, or regulate traffic.”
ORC 2921.33(B) says:
“No person shall operate a motor vehicle so as willfully to elude or flee a police officer after receiving a visible or audible signal from a police officer to bring the person’s motor vehicle to a stop.”
The statute includes language regarding seeing and hearing a police officer, so a driver must follow the command of a police officer even if her or she does not actually see the police officer give the command.
A police officer may order a driver to pull over, or to direct him or her to turn a certain way when organizing traffic. Not following these orders could lead to a charge of Failure to Comply.
Failure to comply is a serious charge. Violation is typically a First Degree Misdemeanor. If convicted, potential penalties for Failure to Comply can include:
Failure to Comply has the potential to be a felony if several factors are present while the individual commits the offense:
Interacting with the police can often be a stressful time in a person’s life, and actions that may have started with good intentions could lead to a charge such as Failure to Comply. Some potential defenses could include:
If you have questions about your Columbus failure to comply charge, talk to our failure to comply defense attorneys at 614-361-2804.