A recent appellate decision by the District Court of Appeal of Florida, Second District clarifies a person’s duty to provide accurate identification information to law enforcement officers. The case, Sauz v. State of Florida, reversed a lower court conviction for resisting an officer without violence charge based on Sauz lying about his identity.
Sauz was charged with lewd battery after he had sex with a 13-year-old girl. The investigating detective went to Sauz’s home to talk to him. The detective was dressed in plain clothes. The detective indicated she did not go to the house with the intent to detain Sauz but only to see if he would cooperate with the investigation. When the detective inquired, Sauz gave a false name and date of birth and told the detective Sauz was in Texas. Based on Sauz lies, he was convicted of the resisting an officer without violence charge. Read more »
