It would be safer for them to turn themself in and do your best to work at clearing their name while they are in custody. A person on the run or hiding can’t really help their defense despite what the movies would have you believe.

Id hide her. Sorry I just don’t think I could turn in my baby sister for something she didn’t do and id rather be in prison with her then know that shes in there because of me.

I would want to get my named cleared as soon as possible. I know people are screwed by the system and go to prison for 30 years, but I have a feeling hiding won’t help my case.

I’d turn them in. One must take their lumps and pay the consequences for their actions.

Otherwise, well…we never know what ‘unthinkable’ acts we might be capable of committing under certain circumstances.

I am 100% sure I’ll never go postal, but, if I woke up to an axe murderer hovering over my bed I could probably bite his nose off and turn the axe on him if given the opportunity.

If I don’t turn them in then I have committed a crime. I’ve never been in prison and I don’r plan on spending any part on my short life sitting behind bars.

I would have them turn themselves in and work for their release afterward.

I’d go with talking some sense into them and make them turn in and then help them. A running person looks guilty even if they are innocent.

One question to clarify. Had an outstanding warrant already be issued on your friend? If so, if your helping to prove/hide your friend to prove they were innocent and you knew about the outstanding warrant, you could be arrested for harboring a fugitive. Just a thought.

How can one do the unthinkable?

I would do my best to persuade them to turn themselves in. I would be with them every step of the way.

I agree with @janbb: I wouldn’t do the unthinkable. I wouldn’t even think of it.

I would have to turn them in and then do everything in my power to help them from that point forward. It’s just the best way to do things. Hiding only makes them look guilty.

I would talk to them and find out as much information that they knew about what had happened as possible, and we would brainstorm about what would be the best course of action, including the likely best solution of turning themselves in to the safest authority. It would depend on the specifics what exactly would be done. One major circumstance the question did not specify, is whether or not the friend seems actually innocent or insane or not, and how convinced I am of that. If we decided the friend needed to remain at large for some very good reason, we would figure out a way that would most likely not involve having me going to jail.

I would tell them to call the most qualified, most expensive lawyer they could possibly afford, and have the lawyer bring them to the police station. That way, s/he would have legal council from the moment they interact with the police.
Here’s a relevant (albeit long) explanation on why you should never talk to the police.

I conquer with @chyna because you want to help your family member, but you do need to do what is right. So you can help clear thier name, and they can turn themselves in and stil be close with them.

Hire a lawyer immediately, and follow her advice.

Is “turn them in” or “turn yourself in” the appropriate term in this case? It would be in response to @john65pennington‘s note about there being an outstanding warrant. Otherwise, wouldn’t it just be going in for questioning?

Either way, the family member/friend should be assisted in finding the guidance of an appropriate lawyer before approaching the police. I’d let them stay at my place until we did so. If the police came a knocking, I wouldn’t lie.

If I believed they were innocent, I might work something out.
I would not call the cops on them, even if I thought they were guilty.

Sorry for the confusion! There is an outstanding warrant!

I would tell this person that as far as I’m concerned I just had a very realistic dream, and they had until morning to leave.

I’d team up with them to take out Freddy Krueger!

If they came to me and told me that they were innocent, I would do my best to help them clear their name and in the meantime hide them as well. To me, family is everything, and if you can’t depend and trust your blood kin, who else can you rely on?

Call Perry Mason immediately.