ILCS » Chapter 720 · Act 5
Illinois Compiled Statutes

720 ILCS 5/31-4 (2026)

Obstructing justice

✓ current as of May 2026
Find cases: SyfertCases citing this section IL-ILGAilga.gov JustiaChapter on Justia CornellLII Search CasesGoogle Scholar
(720 ILCS 5/31-4) (from Ch. 38, par. 31-4)
    Sec. 31-4. Obstructing justice.
    (a) A person obstructs justice when, with intent to prevent the apprehension or obstruct the prosecution or defense of any person, he or she knowingly commits any of the following acts:
        (1) Destroys, alters, conceals or disguises physical
    
evidence, plants false evidence, furnishes false information; or
        (2) Induces a witness having knowledge material to
    
the subject at issue to leave the State or conceal himself or herself; or
        (3) Possessing knowledge material to the subject at
    
issue, he or she leaves the State or conceals himself; or
        (4) If a parent, legal guardian, or caretaker of a
    
child under 13 years of age reports materially false information to a law enforcement agency, medical examiner, coroner, State's Attorney, or other governmental agency during an investigation of the disappearance or death of a child under circumstances described in subsection (a) or (b) of Section 10-10 of this Code.
    (b) Sentence.
        (1) Obstructing justice is a Class 4 felony, except
    
as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection (b).
        (2) Obstructing justice in furtherance of streetgang
    
related or gang-related activity, as defined in Section 10 of the Illinois Streetgang Terrorism Omnibus Prevention Act, is a Class 3 felony.
(Source: P.A. 97-1079, eff. 1-1-13.)

    
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 122 cases (48 in the last 5 years), 1993–2026 · leading case: People v. Casler, 2020 IL 125117 (Ill. 2020).
Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment
People v. Casler, 2020 IL 125117 (Ill. 2020). · cites it 4× “Statute Includes Element of Material Impediment ¶ 22 Defendant argues that section 31-4(a)(1) of the Criminal Code of 2012 (Criminal Code) (720 ILCS 5/31-4(a)(1) (West 2014)), which criminalizes obstructing justice by furnishing false information, includes as an element of the…”
People v. Comage, 946 N.E.2d 313 (Ill. 2011). · cites it 5× “Background In March 2007, the State charged the defendant, Danny Comage, with obstructing justice (720 ILCS 5/31-4(a) (West 2006)), alleging that defendant, "with the intent to obstruct the prosecution of himself for possessing drug paraphernalia, knowingly concealed physical…”
People v. Mehta, 2020 IL App (3d) 180020 (Ill. App. Ct. 2020). · cites it 3× “2d 139, 150 (2011), the defendant was charged with obstruction of justice (720 ILCS 5/31-4 (West 2006)) for throwing drug paraphernalia over a fence immediately prior to his arrest.”
People v. Gordon, 2019 IL App (5th) 160455 (Ill. App. Ct. 2019). · cites it 8× “Accordingly, consistent with our decision in Casler, we decline to follow Taylor and also decline to expand the Baskerville holding, which addressed resisting or obstructing a peace officer (720 ILCS 5/31-1 (West 2006)), to apply to the issue in this case, which involves…”
People v. Baskerville, 2012 IL 111056 (Ill. 2012). · cites it 2× “¶ 27 Defendant next asserts that because knowingly furnishing false information to an officer is specifically enumerated as an act of obstruction in related section 31-4 (720 ILCS 5/31-4 (West 2006) (obstructing justice)) and in the recently enacted section 31-4.”
People v. Hutt, 2023 IL 128170 (Ill. 2023). · cites it 2× “17-CF-405) (720 ILCS 5/31-4(a)(1) (West 2016)), for an accident that occurred on May 20, 2017.”
People v. Smith, 786 N.E.2d 1121 (Ill. App. Ct. 2003). · cites it 3× “Smith, pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice (720 ILCS 5/31-4(a) (West 1998)) and the trial court sentenced her to 12 months' conditional discharge, with 180 days in jail.”
People v. Baskerville, 963 N.E.2d 898 (Ill. 2012). · cites it 2× “5 (West 2010) (obstructing identification)), [2] its omission in section 31-1(a) "signals the [l]egislature's intent that mere words were not intended to constitute obstruction of a peace officer.”
People v. Taylor, 2012 IL App (2d) 110222 (Ill. App. Ct. 2012). · cites it 2× “OPINION ¶1 This case raises the issue of whether a person may be convicted of obstruction of justice (720 ILCS 5/31-4 (West 2008)) where he attempts to obstruct justice but his attempt is unsuccessful and does not interfere in any material way with the police investigation.”
People v. Frank-mccarron, 934 N.E.2d 76 (Ill. App. Ct. 2010). · cites it 2× “Presiding Justice HOLDRIDGE delivered the opinion of the court: The defendant, Karen Frank-McCarron, was convicted of first degree murder (720 ILCS 5/9-1(a)(1) (West 2006)), obstructing justice (720 ILCS 5/31-4(a) (West 2006)), and concealment of a homicidal death (720 ILCS…”
People v. Brown, 802 N.E.2d 356 (Ill. App. Ct. 2003). · cites it 3× “2d R. 604(a)(1)) that its ability to prosecute Brown would be substantially impaired without the evidence that was suppressed.”
People v. Harris, 784 N.E.2d 792 (Ill. 2003). “Defendant was found guilty of four counts of attempt (first degree murder) (720 ILCS 5/8-4(a), 9-1(a)(1) (West 1998)), two counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault (720 ILCS 5/12-14(a)(1), (a)(2) (West 1998)), and one count of obstructing justice (720 ILCS 5/31-4(a) (West…”
Show all 122 citing cases →
— 720 ILCS 5/31-4(a) — 69 cases
People v. Comage, 946 N.E.2d 313 (Ill. 2011). “Background In March 2007, the State charged the defendant, Danny Comage, with obstructing justice (720 ILCS 5/31-4(a) (West 2006)), alleging that defendant, "with the intent to obstruct the prosecution of himself for possessing drug paraphernalia, knowingly concealed physical…”
People v. Smith, 786 N.E.2d 1121 (Ill. App. Ct. 2003). “Smith, pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice (720 ILCS 5/31-4(a) (West 1998)) and the trial court sentenced her to 12 months' conditional discharge, with 180 days in jail.”
People v. Gordon, 2019 IL App (5th) 160455 (Ill. App. Ct. 2019). “Accordingly, consistent with our decision in Casler, we decline to follow Taylor and also decline to expand the Baskerville holding, which addressed resisting or obstructing a peace officer (720 ILCS 5/31-1 (West 2006)), to apply to the issue in this case, which involves…”
People v. Frank-mccarron, 934 N.E.2d 76 (Ill. App. Ct. 2010). “Presiding Justice HOLDRIDGE delivered the opinion of the court: The defendant, Karen Frank-McCarron, was convicted of first degree murder (720 ILCS 5/9-1(a)(1) (West 2006)), obstructing justice (720 ILCS 5/31-4(a) (West 2006)), and concealment of a homicidal death (720 ILCS…”
People v. Harris, 784 N.E.2d 792 (Ill. 2003). “Defendant was found guilty of four counts of attempt (first degree murder) (720 ILCS 5/8-4(a), 9-1(a)(1) (West 1998)), two counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault (720 ILCS 5/12-14(a)(1), (a)(2) (West 1998)), and one count of obstructing justice (720 ILCS 5/31-4(a) (West…”
— 720 ILCS 5/31-4(a)(1) — 37 cases
People v. Casler, 2020 IL 125117 (Ill. 2020). “Statute Includes Element of Material Impediment ¶ 22 Defendant argues that section 31-4(a)(1) of the Criminal Code of 2012 (Criminal Code) (720 ILCS 5/31-4(a)(1) (West 2014)), which criminalizes obstructing justice by furnishing false information, includes as an element of the…”
People v. Hutt, 2023 IL 128170 (Ill. 2023). “17-CF-405) (720 ILCS 5/31-4(a)(1) (West 2016)), for an accident that occurred on May 20, 2017.”
People v. Gordon, 2019 IL App (5th) 160455 (Ill. App. Ct. 2019). “Accordingly, consistent with our decision in Casler, we decline to follow Taylor and also decline to expand the Baskerville holding, which addressed resisting or obstructing a peace officer (720 ILCS 5/31-1 (West 2006)), to apply to the issue in this case, which involves…”
People v. Olvera, 2023 IL App (1st) 210875 (Ill. App. Ct. 2023).
In re Q.P., 2015 IL 118569 (Ill. 2015).
— 720 ILCS 5/31-4(a)(3) — 3 cases
People v. Augusta, 2019 IL App (3d) 170309 (Ill. App. Ct. 2020).
People v. Singh, 2025 IL App (4th) 250115-U (Ill. App. Ct. 2025).
People v. Gayles (Ill. App. Ct. 2026).
— 720 ILCS 5/31-4(b)(1) — 3 cases
People v. Davis, 2022 IL App (4th) 200671-U (Ill. App. Ct. 2022).
Bertha v. Willett, 2022 IL App (2d) 220075-U (Ill. App. Ct. 2022).
People v. Nunley, 2020 IL App (4th) 180230-U (Ill. App. Ct. 2020).
— 720 ILCS 5/31-4(c) — 2 cases
People v. DeSantis, 745 N.E.2d 1 (Ill. App. Ct. 2000).
People v. DeSantis (Ill. App. Ct. 2000).
— 720 ILCS 5/31-4(d)(1) — 2 cases
People v. Brown, 802 N.E.2d 356 (Ill. App. Ct. 2003). “2d R. 604(a)(1)) that its ability to prosecute Brown would be substantially impaired without the evidence that was suppressed.”
People v. George (Ill. App. Ct. 2002).
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.