If you are charged with False Report of a Felony in Livonia, Michigan, you need the help of an experienced Livonia criminal defense attorney. I can provide you with nearly 20 years of experience and a willingness to fight and take cases to trial.
False Report of a Felony is a class F felony that carries up to 4 years in prison (48 months). If you are arrested and charged with False Report of a Felony, your first court appearance will be an arraignment in the 16th District Court in Livonia, Michigan. Learn more about an arraignment now. At the arraignment, your case will be scheduled for a probable cause conference and a preliminary examination. Bond will also be addressed at the arraignment. The probable cause conference must be scheduled within 7 to 14 days of the arraignment with the preliminary examination scheduled within 5 to 7 days after the probable cause conference.
Following the preliminary examination, further proceedings are held in the Wayne County Circuit Court at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice in downtown Detroit. If there is virtually any evidence supporting the prosecutor's case, it is extremely likely that the matter will be bound over in the district court. Nonetheless, I almost always challenge cases at the preliminary examination because it is the best opportunity that the defense is presented for challenging the evidence and developing the facts that will support defenses in the circuit court. DO NOT WAIVE THE PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION WITHOUT MAKING AN INFORMED DECISION.
The charge of False Report of a Felony is detailed in the Michigan compiled laws, MCL 750.411a(1)(b). The provisions of MCL 750.411a state:
(1) Except as otherwise provided in subsections (2) and (3), a person who intentionally makes a false report of the commission of a crime, or intentionally causes a false report of the commission of a crime to be made, to a peace officer, police agency of this state or of a local unit of government, 9-1-1 operator, or any other governmental employee or contractor or employee of a contractor who is authorized to receive reports of a crime, knowing the report is false, is guilty of a crime as follows:
(a) Except as provided in subdivisions (b) through (e), if the report is a false report of a misdemeanor, the person is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 93 days or a fine of not more than $500.00, or both.
(b) Except as provided in subdivisions (c) through (e), if the report is a false report of a felony, the person is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 4 years or a fine of not more than $2,000.00, or both.
(c) Except as provided in subdivisions (d) and (e), if the false report results in a response to address the reported crime and a person incurs physical injury as a proximate result of lawful conduct arising out of that response, the person responsible for the false report is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 5 years or a fine of not more than $20,000.00, or both.
(d) If the false report results in a response to address the reported crime and a person incurs serious impairment of a body function as a proximate result of lawful conduct arising out of that response, the person responsible for the false report is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 10 years or a fine of not more than $25,000.00, or both.
(e) If the false report results in a response to address the reported crime and a person is killed as a proximate result of lawful conduct arising out of that response, the person responsible for the false report is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 15 years or a fine of not less than $25,000.00 or more than $50,000.00, or both.
(2) A person shall not do either of the following:
(a) Knowingly make a false report of a violation or attempted violation of chapter XXXIII or section 327, 328, 397a, or 436 and communicate or cause the communication of the false report to any other person, knowing the report to be false.
(b) Threaten to violate chapter XXXIII or section 327, 328, 397a, or 436 and communicate or cause the communication of the threat to any other person.
(3) A person who violates subsection (2) is guilty of a felony punishable as follows:
(a) Subject to subsection (1)(c) through (e), for a first conviction under subsection (2), by imprisonment for not more than 4 years or a fine of not more than $2,000.00, or both.
(b) Subject to subsection (1)(d) and (e), for a second or subsequent conviction under subsection (2), imprisonment for not more than 10 years or a fine of not more than $5,000.00, or both.
(4) A person shall not intentionally make or intentionally cause to be made a false report of a medical or other emergency to a peace officer, police agency of this state or of a local unit of government, firefighter or fire department of this state or a local unit of government of this state, 9-1-1 operator, medical first responder, or any governmental employee or contractor or employee of a contractor who is authorized to receive reports of medical or other emergencies. A person who violates this subsection is guilty of a crime as follows:
(a) Except as provided in subdivisions (b) through (d), the person is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 93 days or a fine of not more than $500.00, or both.
(b) Except as provided in subdivisions (c) and (d), if the false report results in a response to address the reported medical or other emergency and a person incurs physical injury as a proximate result of lawful conduct arising out of that response, the person responsible for the false report is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 5 years or a fine of not more than $20,000.00, or both.
(c) If the false report results in a response to address the reported medical or other emergency and a person incurs serious impairment of a body function as a proximate result of lawful conduct arising out of that response, the person responsible for the false report is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 10 years or a fine of not more than $25,000.00, or both.
(d) If the false report results in a response to address the reported crime and a person is killed as a proximate result of lawful conduct arising out of that response, the person responsible for the false report is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 15 years or a fine of not less than $25,000.00 or more than $50,000.00, or both.
(5) The court may order a person convicted under subsection (2) or (4) to pay to the state or a local unit of government the costs of responding to the false report or threat including, but not limited to, use of police, fire, medical, or other emergency response vehicles and teams, under section 1f of chapter IX of the code of criminal procedure, 1927 PA 175, MCL 769.1f, unless otherwise expressly provided for in this section.
(6) If the person ordered to pay costs under subsection (5) is a juvenile under the jurisdiction of the family division of the circuit court under chapter 10 of the revised judicature act of 1961, 1961 PA 236, MCL 600.1001 to 600.1043, all of the following apply:
(a) If the court determines that the juvenile is or will be unable to pay all of the costs ordered, after notice to the juvenile's parent or parents and an opportunity for the parent or parents to be heard, the court may order the parent or parents having supervisory responsibility for the juvenile, at the time of the acts upon which the order is based, to pay any portion of the costs ordered that is outstanding. An order under this subsection does not relieve the juvenile of his or her obligation to pay the costs as ordered, but the amount owed by the juvenile shall be offset by any amount paid by his or her parent. As used in this subsection, parent does not include a foster parent.
(b) If the court orders a parent to pay costs under subdivision (a), the court shall take into account the financial resources of the parent and the burden that the payment of the costs will impose, with due regard to any other moral or legal financial obligations that the parent may have. If a parent is required to pay the costs under subdivision (a), the court shall provide for payment to be made in specified installments and within a specified period of time.
(c) A parent who has been ordered to pay the costs under subdivision (a) may petition the court for a modification of the amount of the costs owed by the parent or for a cancellation of any unpaid portion of the parent's obligation. The court shall cancel all or part of the parent's obligation due if the court determines that payment of the amount due will impose a manifest hardship on the parent.
(7) A violation or attempted violation of this section occurs if the communication of the false report originates in this state, is intended to terminate in this state, or is intended to terminate with a person who is in this state.
(8) A violation or attempted violation of this section may be prosecuted in any jurisdiction in which the communication originated or terminated.
(9) As used in this section:
(a) Local unit of government means:
(i) A city, village, township, or county.
(ii) A local or intermediate school district.
(iii) A public school academy.
(iv) A community college.
(b) Medical first responder means that term as defined in section 20906 of the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.20906.
(c) Serious impairment of a body function means that term as defined in section 395.
(d) State includes, but is not limited to, a state institution of higher education.
False Report of a Felony under Michigan sentencing guidelines is scored under crimes against public order (Pub Ord). Under the guidelines, a person who is convicted of False Report of a Felony with no prior record and no aggravating factors looks to the low end of the guidelines which call for up to 3 months. With no prior criminal record but horrible facts, the defendant can face 17* months. With a terrible criminal record and terrible facts, the accused can be looking at 30 months under the guidelines.
The jury instructions set forth the following elements for False Report of a Felony that must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt by the prosecuting attorney:
M Crim JI 13.19 False Report of a Felony
(1) The defendant is charged with making a false report in connection with a felony to the police. To prove this charge the prosecutor must prove each of the following elements beyond a reasonable doubt:
(2) First, the defendant reported to a [state trooper / deputy sheriff / police officer / (state other peace officer)] that a crime had been committed.
(3) Second, that this report was false as to either the fact or the detail[s] of the crime.
(4) Third, that when the defendant made the report, the defendant knew it was false.
(5) Fourth, that the defendant intended to make a false report concerning a crime.
(6) Fifth, that the crime reported was a felony, i.e., an offense [punishable by more than one year incarceration / declared by statute to be a felony].
I can't emphasize enough how important it is to focus on the jury instructions while preparing a defense to the offense of False Report of a Felony. While there are a number of defenses to False Report of a Felony that we can explore during a consultation, the elements contained in M Crim JI 13.19 provide a roadmap for defending the case. This is true in almost every single case, and really great defense attorneys focus early on these jury instructions.
As a cautionary note, you might be completely innocent but still face criminal charges. Even worse, you might be denied bail, forced to spend months in jail before you are vindicated. I have seen many cases where a truly innocent client is baffled, angry and scared, completely unable to understand why police and prosecutors are gunning to get a conviction. So long as probable cause is established at the preliminary examination, then the matter will be bound over for trial in the 3rd Circuit Court for the County of Wayne and further proceedings will be held in the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice in downtown Detroit. This is why it is so important that you contact an experienced Livonia criminal defense attorney to help you defend against criminal charges in the 16th District Court.
*represents an aberration under the guidelines that might result in county jail time or violate the 2/3rd maximum minimum rules under the guidelines, which is something that must be discussed with your attorney.