It is now against the law in Michigan to lie or conceal facts from police officers who are investigating a crime. The law says people do not give up their right to remain silent, but if they do talk, they have to tell the truth.
"This law kind of mirrors the federal law on lying to federal agents. When we're interviewing individuals, it's a tool that law enforcement can use to elicit the truth in investigating crimes," says Sergeant Dwayne Gill is with the Michigan State Police.
The American Civil Liberties Union says it will keep a close watch on how the law is applied.
"We'd like to see police across the state institute safeguards to ensure that this law is not misused or abused to intimidate witnesses or even those who are coming forward to file a grievance against the department," says Rana Elmir.
Elmir says the ACLU is also concerned that people could be criminally charged for a misstatement or some other innocent mistake.
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