It’s tempting to think that innocent people don’t need a lawyer when talking to the police. After all, the police are looking for a guilty person, and all the evidence should be aligned with your innocence. However, innocent people go to prison nearly every day – and even a small verbal mistake is enough to send you there.
Why is it so important for innocent people to hire a criminal defense lawyer when talking to the police?
Clarification on Terms
First, you should understand that there’s nothing wrong with talking to police officers in a casual, relaxed setting. Saying hello to a police officer in front of you in line at a fast-food restaurant does not require professional legal advice.
What’s important is that you consult with a criminal defense attorney if you’re being interrogated or questioned on any matter related to a crime. In general, you shouldn’t talk to the police at all. But if you’re forced to talk to the police, if you’re being detained, or if you’re placed under arrest, hiring a lawyer is imperative.
How a Lawyer Can Help You
A lawyer is going to be your professional legal counsel. They can help you understand your rights, understand your circumstances, and provide you with advice on how to move forward in a way that benefits you. They will make sure you’re treated fairly by the police, they will guide you on the right things to say and when to say them, and they will help you work out a deal if things aren’t looking in your favor. They can help to keep you out of jail, keep you treated well, and make sure you end up in the best possible position at the end of this experience.
Why Innocent People Still Need a Lawyer When Talking to the Police
Why is it that innocent people need a lawyer when talking to the police?
· Innocent people end up in jail. Innocent people can go to prison, and it’s not even especially rare. According to some estimates, 4 to 6 percent of the U.S. prison population could be entirely innocent of the crimes of which they were convicted. Too many innocent people falsely believe that if they simply tell the truth, there’s no way they could ever end up in jail. They end up disclosing unnecessary or incriminating details, or talking in a way that increases police suspicion, and they don’t even understand how or why. A lawyer can help you stay out of jail if the evidence is on your side.
· The police don’t care about you. When police officers question you, they’ll likely pretend to be very friendly and casual. They may even pretend they don’t suspect you or express empathy for your position. But realistically, the police don’t care about you. They care about completing the investigation and finding someone to pin the crime on. They don’t care if you go to jail. They don’t care if your life is ruined. They simply want to solve the crime and move on.
· The police are trained manipulators. You also need to know that police officers and investigators are trained manipulators. They can and will lie to you. They will evoke specific emotions in you on purpose to get the actions and reactions they need. They will specifically withhold information if they feel it will get you to reveal new details. They will do whatever it takes to get you to confess. No matter how resilient to manipulation you feel you are, you will probably not be able to stand up to a full police interrogation.
· Any slip-up could hurt you. It’s important to recognize that any possible slip-up could hurt you. If you accidentally misremember something, if you lie about where you were, or if your story changes in any meaningful way, the police will instantly suspect you. No one is perfectly capable of accurately remembering everything or telling the truth all the time; this is a massive vulnerability that only a lawyer can help you counteract.
· You may not understand your rights. Yes, we’ve all heard the list of Miranda rights commonly read to suspects and criminals after their arrest. Even so, you may not fully understand your rights or their significance in context. A lawyer can help you understand your rights and defend those rights if they’re ever violated by police officers.
· You may not understand your circumstances and options. Similarly, you may not understand your full circumstances or the options available to you. A lawyer can help figure out the strength of the case against you, the information the police have, and the current state of the investigation. If the evidence is against you, for any reason, they can help you understand your best path forward. They can even help you find and present exonerating evidence if you’re truly innocent.
· You may accidentally reveal your involvement in an unrelated crime. Finally, keep in mind that unnecessary revelations can lead police to accuse you of a separate, unrelated crime. A lawyer can help you be especially mindful of what you say.
Being questioned by the police as an innocent person is a precarious position to be in. But it’s not something that you have to do alone. Innocent people need lawyers just as much as guilty people do, if not more so, so don’t hesitate to lawyer up if you need to.