Everybody knows who Tiger Woods is. He is an international phenomenon. He is arguably the best golfer there ever was. And up until a few weeks ago, he was one of the most revered and respected guys on the planet. Now he may not be. His life is in turmoil. People are investigating him. Though this isn't great for Tiger, it's great for you. It provdes a concrete example of what to do if you are investigated by the police for anything - hire a criminal attorney.
In case you've been locked in a room for the past three weeks, Tiger Woods has found himself in hot water with his wife and the national media. Turns out Tiger's been on the prowl (I couldn't resist) outside of his house and has hooked up with several ladies from around the country. Word of this story broke for the first time the day before Thanksgiving, when the National Enquirer ran a story about one of his alleged flings. Next thing you know, late Thanksgiving night Tiger is wrecking his car only feet from his house and an ambulance is needed for help. And from that point on he was a focal point of the Seattle Criminal Attorney News who followed the story very closely.
It is at this point that most mere mortals get stupid and try to start covering things up. They start talking to the police about what sort of happened or about who is at fault, hoping that once the police learn what happened they'll go away. Problem is, they don't go away. The more you talk, the more you dig yourself a hole. The cops will even give you the shovel and ask you questions designed specifically to catch you doing something wrong. But not Tiger. He did what every should do - he hired a criminal attorney and followed his advice.
When the cops came up to interview Tiger about what happened he politely declined. He provided his license and insurance information as required by law, and that was it. He didn't answer any questions about why his car window was broken out. He didn't talk about what could have caused him to wreck only feet from his house. He didn't talk about anything. Any why? Because his criminal attorney told him not to.
Several days after the cops couldnt' get Tiger to talk they released the findings of their investigation - Tiger drove badly. That's it. A traffic citation. He's got to pay a fine and it's all over with. No criminal charges. No walking through the halls of justice. Nothing. And why? Simple - when the cops actually have to investigate a crime instead of getting all of the information they need from the person who committed the crime, it gets much much tougher. Cops aren't generally known as the sharpest tools in the shed. They employ bully tactics, take advantage of rules designed to help them, and play off of our fears to get us to speak. When they actually have to figure something out on their own they have a much harder time.
The next time you find yourself face to face with the cops, keep your mouth shut and speak to an attorney as quickly as possible. That is one way you want to be just like Tiger Woods.
From the author: Seattle Criminal Attorney
