What to Do if the Police Want to Question You

Police and investigators are skilled in getting information out of people. Whether you are guilty or innocent, it is very likely you will say something unintentionally that could become troublesome for you down the road. If the police/investigators want to question you about a criminal investigation, assert your right to remain silent and have your lawyer present!

Answering basic questions will not always yield harmless results.

Scenario:

What if a cop calls you and asks if you were driving your car around a specific area yesterday?

Unable to think of any reason to withhold information, you acknowledge to the officer that you were.

Later, you find out that the officer was asking you this because an elementary school bus driver accused someone driving your car of failing to stop for a school bus while children were outside of the bus.  By acknowledging that you were driving your car around this area, you end up charged with a gross misdemeanor. This is punishable by up to 1 yr. in jail and a $3K fine. In the alternative, had you not provided the police with the necessary element to charge you then you would have likely been charged with a petty misdemeanor only. A petty misdemeanor is only punishable by a fine of no more than $300.

This is just a simple example. The consequences can be much more serious. There are times when it is determined that the best course of action is to give a statement, but that decision should be made with the aid of legal counsel.

Until you have talked to an attorney, assert your right to remain silent.