Impersonation of officer

Impersonation of Officer Defined by Vegas Defense Attorney

Public officers have an important role to play in administering justice and maintaining law and order in Nevada. Because public officers must be able to carry out their legal duties unfettered, there are a variety of laws prohibiting the obstruction of public officers from fulfilling their obligations. There are also rules that prevent public officers from abusing the powers of their office or from refusing to fulfill their official duties.

Since public officers receive special protections and are subject to special rules, it is imperative that all parties involved in interactions with public officers have confidence that a person claiming to be a public officer is actually who he says he is. If others who are not entrusted with legal obligations impersonate public officers, this could undermine faith in the system and could make the administration of justice much more difficult.

In an effort to avoid undesirable consequences that could result if impersonation of public officers occurred, the state of Nevada has made it a crime to impersonate a public officer. The crime is considered to be an offense against public justice so it is found in Chapter 199 of Nevada’s code, which is the section of the Nevada criminal code detailing different types of crimes against public justice.

If you have been accused of impersonating an officer, you need to find an experienced attorney who understands how to defend you against accusations that you committed a crime against public justice. A Nevada criminal lawyer at LV Criminal Defense can provide the representation and advocacy that you need to fight serious charges. You should give us a call as soon as possible to get a compassionate and knowledgeable legal professional on your side who will help you to try to get the best possible outcome from your involvement with the criminal justice system.

What is Impersonation of Officer Under Nevada Law?

Impersonation of an officer is defined by Nevada law in Nevada Revised Statute section 199.430.

According to the relevant statute, this offense can be committed by any person who falsely pretends to be a public officer, a police officer, or a private individual with special legal authority to engage in actions that affect the rights or interests of others. The law makes clear that the offense can be committed by any person who pretends to be either a civilian officer or a military officer.

N.R.S. 199.430 also indicates that the offense of impersonating a public officer can be committed by displaying or wearing a uniform or badge that distinguishes officers from members of the public. For this to be a crime, the individual who wears or assumes the distinguishing badge or identifier must do acts purporting to be official, thus injuring or defrauding others.

Any person who engages in any of these behaviors and who is found guilty of the offense of impersonation of an officer will be found guilty of a gross misdemeanor offense. A gross misdemeanor offense can result in up to a year of incarceration and can result in a fine of up $2,000.