If the police suspect that you committed a crime, they’re probably going to question you at some point. This is a dangerous situation to be in, as the police are good at getting people to talk themselves into trouble. That’s why it’s best to stay silent when the police show up to ask you questions. If you don’t take our word for it, look at these ways that the police may try to trip you up during custodial interrogation:
- Lying to you: Law enforcement is allowed to feed you lies to try to get you to talk. They might misinform you about physical evidence or what other people have said, so take their word with a grain of salt.
- Threatening you: Although the police can’t and shouldn’t threaten you with physical violence, they might threaten you with more severe criminal charges or harsher penalties if you don’t talk. This is a good coercive tactic that often gets the police results.
- Providing false promises: The police might also try to coax you into talking by indicating that they can give you some sort of plea deal. But this isn’t true. Only the prosecutor can make and live up to those promises.
- Recording your statements: It’s easy to say something that you didn’t mean when you are nervous and stressed while being questioned by the police. Since the police will record your statements, they’ll use any and all slipups against you. So, you have to be extremely careful with what you say, which is why it’s best to remain silent.
Don’t get railroaded by the police
You don’t want the police to drive a stake through your criminal defense before you even get it off the ground. That’s why if the police come knocking, you should probably reach out to a criminal defense attorney who can help you protect your interests and your rights from the get-go.