Resisting arrest is a charge that is seen increasingly. A person can be arrested and charged with this crime for doing anything contrary to the officer’s instructions, including even asking questions of the officer. Of course, more serious fighting, resisting, and obstructing a peace officer’s duties can also be charged under this statute. The applicable law in this situation is California Penal Code (CPC or PC) section 148, which states: “(a) (1) Every person who willfully resists, delays, or obstructs any public officer, peace officer, or an emergency medical technician, as defined in Division 2.5 (commencing with Section 1797) of the Health and Safety Code, in the discharge or attempt to discharge any duty of his or her office or employment, when no other punishment is prescribed, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, or by both that fine and imprisonment.”