Understanding Consequences of Helping Escape Custody
Who doesn’t love a good old-fashioned prison break? Hi, my name is Carl Birkhead. I’m a Tulsa criminal attorney with Wirth Law Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I’ve been practicing family and criminal law for almost eight years now, and I want to help you make law easy by talking about what constitutes a violation of the statute for trying to help someone escape detention.
Different Scenarios of Helping Someone Escape
This statute is broad — it doesn’t just apply to breaking someone out of prison. It covers two main scenarios:
Helping Someone Escape a Felony Detention – If you assist someone in escaping from a state penitentiary or any facility where they’re being held on felony charges or after a felony conviction, you’ll face felony charges yourself.
Helping Someone Escape Any Other Detention – If the person is in custody for a misdemeanor or even something as minor as a traffic violation, aiding their escape is still a crime, but it’s classified as a misdemeanor. However, it can still lead to jail time.
Risks and Legal Consequences
No matter the situation, helping someone break out of custody isn’t worth it. People who attempt it almost always get caught — meaning instead of reuniting with your friend on the outside, you’ll likely end up as their cellmate. If you want to support someone in jail, visit them during designated hours, but don’t put yourself in legal trouble.
If you have questions about this or if you’ve already been caught trying to help somebody escape or something like that, give us a call. I definitely want to try to help you out and see what we can do to make the situation better instead of watching it get worse.
Book a Strategy Session
My name is Carl Birkhead. I’m a Tulsa criminal defense attorney with Wirth Law Office, and I want to help you make law easy. Contact us at 918-879-1681 to schedule a low-cost initial strategy session and explore your legal options.
