Whether a misunderstanding occurred during a traffic stop or an investigation escalated at your front door, an Obstruction of Justice allegation in San Diego is a direct threat to your freedom and your future. Under California law, “obstruction” is a broad net that prosecutors use to penalize anyone who challenges police authority. At the Law Offices of Logan Noblin, we specialize in cutting through the state’s narrative to protect your rights.
Don’t Let a Moment of
Confusion Define Your
Obstruction cases are not always about what actually happened—they are about how the event is interpreted. That’s why these cases require a defense strategy focused on context, credibility, and intent.
Defense In Every Corner
The First Amendment Shield
Verbal criticism of the police is not a crime. We prove that your actions were protected speech, not physical interference, dismantling the prosecution’s attempt to criminalize your voice.
Unlawful Police Conduct
You cannot “obstruct” an officer who is acting outside the law. If the initial stop, search, or detention was illegal, any subsequent “resistance” is legally neutralized. We file Motion to Suppress actions to kill the case at the root.
Lack of "Willful" Intent
Obstruction requires a specific intent to delay or resist. If you didn’t hear an order, were confused by conflicting commands, or were experiencing a medical or mental health crisis, the “willful” element of the crime is gone.
Digital Forensics & Body-Cam Audits
Police reports are one-sided. We utilize frame-by-frame analysis of body-worn cameras and civilian cell phone footage to expose the gap between the officer’s written word and the reality of the encounter.
Judicial Diversion Offensive
We petition the court directly for a path to dismissal under PC 1001.95. By completing community service or specific classes, we ensure the charges are dropped and your record remains unblemished.
The Wins
Despite multiple law enforcement witnesses, the jury rejected the prosecution’s narrative. Logan’s ability to dismantle the claim of intentional obstruction led to a full acquittal on all counts. The client left court with a clean record, vindicated against a coordinated police account.
Our Proven 4-Step Blueprint
An arrest for PC 148 or Evading starts a fast-moving legal clock. The police have already filed their reports, often coordinating their stories to justify a use of force or an unlawful stop. Logan Noblin uses a tactical roadmap to seize control of that narrative and expose the “Contempt of Cop” bias before you ever face a jury.
01
We never take a police report at face value. In obstruction cases, the “truth” is often hidden in the gaps between officer statements.
02
The most critical window is the time between your arrest and the moment the District Attorney decides to file charges. This is where Logan’s reputation as a “Strategist” saves futures.
03
If the prosecution proceeds, we apply relentless pressure to force a dismissal or a non-criminal resolution.
04
The goal is a clean slate. We prepare every case as if it’s going to trial, giving us maximum leverage for a “Not Guilty” verdict.
Common Questions
Arguing is not a crime. Under the First Amendment, you have the right to verbally challenge or criticize police conduct. An arrest for “Obstruction” (PC 148) requires a physical act that actually delays or interferes with their duties. We specialize in showing that “talking back” is protected speech, not a criminal act.
In many cases, no. Unless you are being lawfully detained or are the driver in a traffic stop, you generally have a “right to be left alone.” As seen in our successful case wins, if the police didn’t have a legal reason to stop you in the first place, your refusal to cooperate cannot be charged as obstruction.
PC 148 is a broad “catch-all” charge for delaying or resisting an officer during any part of their duty. Evading specifically refers to using a vehicle to flee a pursuing officer. Both carry serious consequences, but Logan Noblin has a proven track record of getting felony evading charges dismissed through pretrial diversion.
No. To be guilty of PC 148, the officer must be engaged in the “lawful performance of their duties.” If we prove via a Motion to Suppress that the initial stop or search was unconstitutional, the obstruction charge often disappears because the officer’s actions were no longer “lawful.”
“Willful” intent is a requirement for a conviction. If you didn’t know you were being detained or didn’t understand the officer’s commands due to noise, chaos, or a medical crisis, you did not “willfully” obstruct them. We use body-cam audits to prove the lack of clear communication.
Yes. State boards for nursing, teaching, and law often view obstruction as a “character” or “honesty” issue. Our primary goal is to secure a dismissal or reduce the charge to a non-criminal infraction to ensure your career and professional standing remain intact.
Absolutely. Under PC 1001.95, many misdemeanor obstruction and resisting arrest charges are eligible for diversion. This allows us to bypass the prosecutor and ask the judge to dismiss and seal the case upon completion of simple requirements like community service.
Recording police in a public place is a constitutionally protected right. As long as you are not physically standing in their way or interfering with their movements, recording is legal. We have successfully defended clients against “retaliatory” arrests made simply because they had a camera out.
Providing false identification (PC 148.9) is a specific type of obstruction. However, if the information was provided during an unlawful detention or was a result of a misunderstanding, we can fight to have the charges dropped or mitigated.
We call this “The Blue Wall.” As demonstrated in our Not Guilty verdict against six police witnesses, we use surgical cross-examination to find “plot holes” in their reports. When six people tell the exact same rehearsed story, the subtle inconsistencies are what we use to prove the truth to a jury.
Yes. California law provides specific protections and diversion programs for individuals whose actions were caused by a mental health episode or substance abuse crisis. We have successfully secured “treatment-based” dismissals that prioritize recovery over jail time.
An arrest will show up unless it is sealed. Our 4-Step Blueprint includes a final step of filing a motion to seal your arrest record. Once we win or secure a dismissal, we ensure the “paper trail” is erased so your reputation is fully restored.
