There are provisions built into the law for circumstances when you did "something obviously right" but are charged with a crime which was technically committed

There are provisions built into the law for circumstances when you did "something obviously right" but are charged with a crime which was technically committed in the process of doing the right thing. "the defendant must affirmatively show (i.e., introduce some evidence) that (a) the harm he sought to avoid outweighs the danger of the prohibited conduct he is charged with; (b) he had no reasonable alternative; (c) he ceased to engage in the prohibited conduct as soon as the danger passed; and (d) he did not himself create the danger he sought to avoid." From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necessity http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necessity , which is a specific case of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affirmative_defense http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affirmative_defense