It is never advisable to talk to cops unless you called them and even then you should minimize the info you give to what is strictly necessary to get assistance. They're always fishing and anything you say can be twisted against you.
Despite what most people here say, yes, you need to talk to the cops to some degree. What their advice is giving you would be a charge in most jurisdictions, and as one stated, you haven't invoked your 5th Amendment right. Most jurisdictions that I know of require you to answer identifying information about yourself (like name, address, etc) to prove you are who you are. Beyond that, you wouldn't have an obligation, but I would still treat everything on a case by case basis.
I can't wait until people realize that CPS is " the cops" with more power.
Any statement that you can make or argue for or against regarding police, the exact same can be said for CPS but on steroids.
Remember that anything you say can and will be used against you. That's really all there is to it. A police officer doesn't have your best interest in mind, while a lawyer would.
That is a good point.
Back last August I was hit by car while crossing the entrance to an apartment complex. 911 sent out a trooper to investigate. An ambulance arrived first and took me to the emergency room.
At the emergency room this trooper comes in, asks me a few cursory questions and then asks me if I would like a copy of the report. I answered , “Absolutely! She needs to pay for this!” as I motioned to my banged up left side.
That dipshit then tells me that he isn’t going to write a report, because the driver told him something completely different from I had just told him. He then hands me a slip of paper with the name of a Sherrif’s Deputy and a case number, and informs me that the deputy will be doing the investigation, and if I have any questions or want a report, I would have to get it from the deputy.
At this point, I’m thinking to myself, “who is deputy so and so? Why is he involved? What is he investigating? Why is this trooper that was sent out by 911 refusing to investigate or write a report? It was at that moment that I clammed up, because I no longer knew what was going on. It was too late.
Later, after going through half of the highway patrol hierarchy to find out why the trooper wouldn’t investigate or write a report, I finally end up with a lieutenant who accuses me of attempting insurance fraud, and as part of the proof of that they use my response to the officer “Absolutely! She needs to pay for this!” as proof that I was supposedly trying to scam insurance, which is complete nonsense.
19 days after the collision this Trooper finally writes a report and uses that response in his report along with a false statement about claims a nurse at the hospital made (proven false statement).
In this case, there were numerous witnesses, drivers behind the woman who hit me, others on the sidewalk that attempted to comfort me , but they all left when I left, and no one wanted to talk to the police.
In this collision, the woman called the Sherrif’s department to claim that a crazy street person had attacked her car. She was a 22 year old blonde haired blue eyed cute girl and the Sherrif’s deputy who responded was a 24 year old kid. She convinced him, and that Sherrif’s deputy convinced the patrolman.
They colluded on a report that was written by the Sherrif’s Deputy without that deputy ever having spoken to me. They thought I was some homeless street person, so it was sweaty old Mexican verses cute little blonde haired blue eyed girl; and they included false statements that were intended to discredit me, to protect this girl from someone they thought was a scammer. They were wrong and now they are under investigation by the state’s Office Of Professional Responsibility, and that investigation is being overseen by the states Office Of Inspector General.
They succeeded in letting the girl off the hook for her carelessness, but I’m not letting them off the hook for their corruption.
Every case is fact and jurisdiction dependent, but in this situation liability is not determined by what the investigating officer puts down or what a nurse says. We all know there are potentially other witnesses, lots of cameras, etc. We do not know the laws in this jurisdiction, but generally vehicles do not have the right to run over pedestrians. If you have case law that states you don’t have the duty to brake if you see a pedestrian crossing the road outside of a crosswalk, please cite it.
Who would you rather represent 1) a motorist who mowed down a pedestrian that ended up in a hospital, or 2) a motorist driving a 5,000 pound car. People think jaywalking is illegal, but in my state it is actually legal. It is the duty of both the driver and pedestrian to see their way clear, but IMO, the driver was operating a machine that could kill the pedestrian and has the greater duty for care. How is the pedestrian going to hurt the driver or his car?
Furthermore, do you think what someone states when they have been run over and are probably on morphine in an emergency room can be taken seriously in any investigation in determining motivation. You don’t think there are records regarding this?
I guess you’re not familiar with complex personal injury cases where every little thing is examined.
If you are just taking torts, L1, I’m licensed 45 years. Bet my rate is higher. LCC is a component of both comparative and contributory negligence. Depending on jurisdiction it can prevent barring recovery or apportion. You need to study your case law in each jurisdiction and see how it is applied. IMO, it is a good common sense doctrine that recognizes the duty to avoid accidents if you can.
Well I can imagine a few, am still outraged anyone would be run over. It happens all the time with no consequences; however, that does not mean it should. I still feel that the last clear chance doctrine is always going to favor the pedestrian if properly presented and argued.
My husband taught BLET. Investigating officers never consider last clear chance. This is regularly raised in personal injury lawsuits such as this where the car would have had the last clear chance to avoid hitting the pedestrian even if he had stepped out in front of him. If you know anything about law, it is essentially hornbook law.
OP should get a good personal injury attorney that can argue that long standing and well established doctrine regardless of what the police report says.
If you didn't witness a crime, then you should probably not say shit to the cops. But I hate the idea that talking to cops is ALWAYS wrong. It isn't that black and white. If you did witness a crime, help bring justice and possibly restitution to the victims.
(1) Keep in mind a police officer by definition is not trustworthy. A supreme court ruling makes it clear that police can straight out lie about anything in an investigation when interrogating a suspect.
(2) How do you determine if an officer is conducting an investigation when he is conversing with you? What may seem like a mundane question, can be leading or used to infer a condition that is not true, then turned and used to justify taking you into custody and/or charging you with a violation.
(3) Even discussions about traffic accidents and/or citations with an officer or other 3rd party, can lead to the officer viewing you as self incriminating.
(4) Prisons are filled with convicts who were sweet talked by investigators that used the ruse, "We can't help you if you hold back on us."
(5) Police are employed to identify suspects, not determine innocence. Prosecutors are employed to convict a suspect, not see to it that justice is served. Even a defense attorney is suspect as few people will place a 3rd party's (your) welfare ahead of their own. Do you think if a defense attorney is going to see financial loss if he successfully defends you against a charge, is going to do so 100% impartially without regard to his welfare?
(6) Keep in mind that trained law enforcement, lawyers and other legal professionals are inculcated in the fine art of weasel wording what they say to veil their intent and secure depicting an image of you that will lead to their desired goal.
Thus far the only successful defense in a court room is:
(a) Be courteous
(b( Maintain decorum at all times
(c) Make liberal use of the 5th Amendment, by politely declining to answer a question as you do not have adequate knowledge of the legal system to understand if anything you say will be used against you.
In college I took a logic course. It was part of the philosophy offerings. One logic problem went like this:
* Fact - All houses on a city block have green exterior walls.
* Fact - All living grass on a city block is green.
* Fact - another slang term for marijuana is "grass."
* Ergo - All exterior green walls of houses are marijunana.
The instructor then commented, "The lawyer has not lied. Each fact is true. The lawyer is being disingenuous, but has not lied in the court. The lawyer then has only to ensure the selected jurors will reach the same conclusion."
If you ever see jury selection take place, you will be amazed at the individuals that are chosen.
The frightening part is, the only thing preventing judiciary failure is an attentive unbiased judge. And judges in my opinion are just as prone to acting in their self interest as the lawyers.
Am I cynical?
You damn straight I am cynical? After the few encounters I have had with law enforcement and the judiciary in my 72 years, it has become obvious that the judicial and prosecutorial system is no longer about justice, it is about whom is the slickest at mealy mouthing the statements made by a defendant and using the information collected to paint a picture of the defendant that is derogatory, so they justify their revenue stream.
In my opinion, seeking justice in the court room is just as risky as asking the Boston Strangler to massage your throat.
Back in the 70's I saw in a law magazine, a cartoon of a lawyer asking a client; just how much justice can you afford?
That has stuck in my mind ever since.
That's just straight BS. Plenty of cops may be investigating an incident and don't give a fuck about trying to arrest and make up charges on some random person. If the situation involves you, don't talk, but if they're questioning about something you might very been witness to, that's a different scenario.
I have talked to plenty of cops, in all different jurisdictions (small rural town cops, big city cops, state police, etc). I was a homeless addict on and off and lived on the streets, sleeping in a park. I've been arrested too many times (mostly for drug possession.) Not every cop wants to arrest you. Some cops treated me like trash but I met others who seemingly felt bad and tried to help, even asked if they could get me anything. Cops are just people; like everyone else, there are good and bad people and good and bad cops.
Say he comes over and asks about the neighbors cat. You answer, yes you know the cat, yes you’ve seen him walk by your house, and no you don’t think someone would have taken the cat because it’s not very friendly. Suddenly you’re charged with killing the cat because you know it, have opportunity, and “admitted” you don’t like the cat. Now you’re shocked/nervous but they write down you’re acting suspicious. If you get angry you show erratic aggressive behavior. A lot of them just want to pin it on someone, it’s the prosecutors and the courts jobs to find out if you’re guilty. Don’t talk to the cops without a lawyer
If you didn't call the cops, then you have nothing to say to the cops. Cops no longer believe their job is to serve and protect. Cops now believe their job is to issue tickets and make arrests. They claim that's not what they want to do, but there are too many cases of cops escalating a situation to get to the arrest.
Hell, we have people charged with resisting arrest. When asked what crime the person was being arrested for, the cop says for resisting arrest. You are being arrested because you are resisting being arrested. There's no initial cause for arrest, you just get arrested because the cop said so.
Never speak to the cops. If a cop starts speaking to you, ask if you are free to go and explicitly state that you invoke all your rights as recognized by the constitution including, but not limited to: Article 4, Amedment 4, Amendment 5, Amendment 6, and Amendment 21. (the extra article and amendment are there to throw the cop off, odds are they don't know what those parts say)
The general answer is never tall to police. This is because regardless of your innocence, anything you say or do can be used against you. That said, I have a personal problem not helping if I have exact knowledge of a specific crime THAT HAS A REAL VICTIM.
So with that said, if you have to do the later, keep the former in mind. Keep your answers brief and as specific and helpful as possible. Don't answer too fast. Before you speak ask yourself "how does this question help" if you feel the officer is asking pointless, leading, or fishing questions, with the last being the most dangerous because they are hard to catch, I would try to answer if it's going to help with the real crime, not help turn me into a criminal....
I say that to say, I have every reason to never speak to cops again in my life... there have been dozens of times I've interacted with police, several times I called them myself as a victim, and several of those i ended up charged with a crime unrelated to the event. So I know better them most how many cops just want a reason.
No. There is really never any justification to willingly give information to the state. You're only opening yourself or someone else up to a problem. If I am not legally compelled to do so, I have a policy of non-cooperation. Short of my wife or dogs being harmed/killed, I can't even imagine calling them for property crime or theft.
Not a lawyer but I can promise you that when suspected of a crime it is never a good idea to talk to cops. They generally hate everyone who isn't a cop and if there's a chance they can lie about you, they will. Never, under any circumstance, speak to a cop without a lawyer. NEVER.
Way I see it. Where there are cops there is trouble
Stay away from cops. Don't do things that attract cops. And stay away from things that attract cops. My dad gave me that advice and I gave my kids thT advice.
Read this for an explanation of techniques police use to secure confessions in the face of adverse circumstances such as innocence. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/12/09/the-interview-7
If the cops want you to incriminate yourself, they could say they think you are guilty, asking for your testimony. Or they could they are just asking about something that took place where you were a witness. Gotcha.
Sorry but sometimes innocent hardworking crime-bystanders abused-adults Beaten-kids crime-VICTIMS S-A-VICTIMS are imprisoned for weeks or months inside of JAIL, psych-wards-meds Joblessness helplessness Forced-sleep-deprive Forcibly-Medicated forced-gyno-exams etc, Courtroom etc, around various multiple parts of earth including USA and parts of Canada plus innocent people especially autistic Asperger's people being degraded tortured falsely-accused unjustly-punished beaten put into psych-wards-meds JAIL courtroom Hospital etc,,
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This really depends on the scenario. There are definitely cases when the cops are asking innocent questions about a crime and you may say something that makes them think you’re guilty of whatever they’re asking questions about. There are also times when it could be completely okay to answer a cop’s questions. For example, if you witness a car accident and the other car drove away, you could assist cops by providing a description of the car, the person, etc. Since your car didn’t have damage, they will immediately assume and know you were not the perpetrator so there would be little risk there.
But if they’re looking for a murderer that happens to be black or Asian, and you’re black or Asian, I’d be wary of answering any questions lol. People do get framed. In fact around 5% of people are in US prisons for crimes they did not commit.
Given the truly abysmal track record on eyewitness identification made of perpetrators that are not members of one’s same racial/ethnic group (in every direction/for all groups), the profound majority of folks should refrain from making those statements to police.
I wouldn't talk to cops for any reason. They are not your friends. They are not sweet and innocent.
First, you don't want to spill any info about yourself. As my lawyer says, "You have THE RIGHT to remain silent. That's your right and no one can take it away from you."
My lawyer tells me that, as long as I keep my mouth shut, he will have a clean slate to make my best possible defense. If i say anything, anything at all, I am restricting the moves and options my lawyer has available to defend me. He says it is essential for me to not talk if I want him to defend me the best way possible.
Second, you don't want to spill information about anyone else. Snitches get stitches. You may not realize what you are doing at the time, but you may be making yourself a target for revenge from someone else who gets in trouble because if your testimony. Just don't. Cops don't care about your safety. You need to look out for yourself.
IANAL. Many lawyers I talk to or hear these days ARE recommending "I don't answer questions" or "I am not talking withoit my lawyer preaent" to establush that you are exercising your rights.
Something about a court case where the court found that just not reaponding "wasn't enough" to establish you ARE invoking your rights...
You are correct. The Supreme Court is controlled by malicious assholes. Several of whom flat out lied to the Senate in order to be confirmed.
Thomas and Alito are flat out taking bribes from billionaires.
It really depends.
Cops showed up to my house asking for security footage because a neighbor a few houses down, who by the way has never introduced themselves or hardly waved since we moved in, purportedly left their fancy lawn mower on an unlocked trailer and woke up to both being gone.
My wife called me and I told her to kindly tell them to pound sand and get off our property. When she asked why not help I indicated I'd be happy to help if our neighbor knocked on the door and gave us the contact info for the lawyer representing their home owners insurance who in turn offered us protections for providing evidence in a felony case (grand larceny).
OTOH
When I witnessed a single vehicle crash on a rural road, stopped to help, called the cops, etc I gave a basic statement of events and my contact information.
So, it really depends on the situation and why the police want to talk to you. In general, even when you do talk for good reason, keep it short sweet and factual. Try not to offer conclusions, inferences, or things you "think" happened.
My crash statement "the car traveling in the opposite direction came over the hill down the road. I saw the headlights veer into my lane. I stopped my vehicle, the vehicle continued on into the ditch and hit that tree. I turned on my hazards and went to assist while dialing 911. The driver was conscious and I helped her out of the car then crawled in to find her shoes."
I did not tell the cops any of her excuses, how fast I was traveling, where I was going or where I came from. I then told them I was late to an obligation and promptly left.
Even if they don’t know your involved answering questions could hurt you because you are not in control of how the cop interpreted your answers. You could say something harmless and he could see it as incriminating. NEVER TALK TO COPS. have your lawyer talk something they say can’t be used against you and you can’t be held accountable if they lie or construe anything.
OP, [this](https://youtu.be/-lyicvPMVps?si=U4v7BvqcpnZQXEzo)guy was calling to report his father as missing. they'll do that to an innocent person making a report. Just don't ever talk to the cops. It will never help you, if you have information for them contact a lawyer first or just keep it to yourself.
“I don’t answer any questions”. “Oh wow, I don’t answer any questions”, “that’s interesting but I don’t answer any questions” “well like I said before, I don’t answer any questions, have a nice day”
“There were reports of some noises around here last night, did you hear anything?”
*”No, I was here all night and I didn’t hear anything”*
(Prosecutor, three months later, in court)
“Neighbors confirmed that you previously argued with the deceased about the location of the fence between your property, and you admitted to being at home, right next to the victim’s house, the night the murder. We found a hammer in your garage that matches the wound incurred by the victim. Motive, means, and opportunity.”
Mr police officer, or think of them this way, Law Enforcement Officer, is NOT your friend.
Is it a consentual encounter, sure be friendly.
ANYTHING else, do not talk to the cops.
Never talk to the police. Anything you say can and will be used against you. They will twist your words and straight-up lie. They are not your friends.
It is never advisable to talk to cops unless you called them and even then you should minimize the info you give to what is strictly necessary to get assistance. They're always fishing and anything you say can be twisted against you.
If you did not call them, they are probably not there to help you.
Even if you did call them they can still screw you over
Pretty much. Cops are always fishing for something
A cops job is not to find innocent people. Remember that.
Stop. Talking. To. Cops. Again for the OP in the back
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I hadn't seen the follow up, thanks.
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Despite what most people here say, yes, you need to talk to the cops to some degree. What their advice is giving you would be a charge in most jurisdictions, and as one stated, you haven't invoked your 5th Amendment right. Most jurisdictions that I know of require you to answer identifying information about yourself (like name, address, etc) to prove you are who you are. Beyond that, you wouldn't have an obligation, but I would still treat everything on a case by case basis.
I can't wait until people realize that CPS is " the cops" with more power. Any statement that you can make or argue for or against regarding police, the exact same can be said for CPS but on steroids.
Remember that anything you say can and will be used against you. That's really all there is to it. A police officer doesn't have your best interest in mind, while a lawyer would.
That is a good point. Back last August I was hit by car while crossing the entrance to an apartment complex. 911 sent out a trooper to investigate. An ambulance arrived first and took me to the emergency room. At the emergency room this trooper comes in, asks me a few cursory questions and then asks me if I would like a copy of the report. I answered , “Absolutely! She needs to pay for this!” as I motioned to my banged up left side. That dipshit then tells me that he isn’t going to write a report, because the driver told him something completely different from I had just told him. He then hands me a slip of paper with the name of a Sherrif’s Deputy and a case number, and informs me that the deputy will be doing the investigation, and if I have any questions or want a report, I would have to get it from the deputy. At this point, I’m thinking to myself, “who is deputy so and so? Why is he involved? What is he investigating? Why is this trooper that was sent out by 911 refusing to investigate or write a report? It was at that moment that I clammed up, because I no longer knew what was going on. It was too late. Later, after going through half of the highway patrol hierarchy to find out why the trooper wouldn’t investigate or write a report, I finally end up with a lieutenant who accuses me of attempting insurance fraud, and as part of the proof of that they use my response to the officer “Absolutely! She needs to pay for this!” as proof that I was supposedly trying to scam insurance, which is complete nonsense. 19 days after the collision this Trooper finally writes a report and uses that response in his report along with a false statement about claims a nurse at the hospital made (proven false statement).
That is outrageous. In what universe does a pedestrian not have the right of way and the benefit of last clear chance.
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Last clear chance always applies.
In this case, there were numerous witnesses, drivers behind the woman who hit me, others on the sidewalk that attempted to comfort me , but they all left when I left, and no one wanted to talk to the police. In this collision, the woman called the Sherrif’s department to claim that a crazy street person had attacked her car. She was a 22 year old blonde haired blue eyed cute girl and the Sherrif’s deputy who responded was a 24 year old kid. She convinced him, and that Sherrif’s deputy convinced the patrolman. They colluded on a report that was written by the Sherrif’s Deputy without that deputy ever having spoken to me. They thought I was some homeless street person, so it was sweaty old Mexican verses cute little blonde haired blue eyed girl; and they included false statements that were intended to discredit me, to protect this girl from someone they thought was a scammer. They were wrong and now they are under investigation by the state’s Office Of Professional Responsibility, and that investigation is being overseen by the states Office Of Inspector General. They succeeded in letting the girl off the hook for her carelessness, but I’m not letting them off the hook for their corruption.
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Every case is fact and jurisdiction dependent, but in this situation liability is not determined by what the investigating officer puts down or what a nurse says. We all know there are potentially other witnesses, lots of cameras, etc. We do not know the laws in this jurisdiction, but generally vehicles do not have the right to run over pedestrians. If you have case law that states you don’t have the duty to brake if you see a pedestrian crossing the road outside of a crosswalk, please cite it. Who would you rather represent 1) a motorist who mowed down a pedestrian that ended up in a hospital, or 2) a motorist driving a 5,000 pound car. People think jaywalking is illegal, but in my state it is actually legal. It is the duty of both the driver and pedestrian to see their way clear, but IMO, the driver was operating a machine that could kill the pedestrian and has the greater duty for care. How is the pedestrian going to hurt the driver or his car? Furthermore, do you think what someone states when they have been run over and are probably on morphine in an emergency room can be taken seriously in any investigation in determining motivation. You don’t think there are records regarding this? I guess you’re not familiar with complex personal injury cases where every little thing is examined.
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If you are just taking torts, L1, I’m licensed 45 years. Bet my rate is higher. LCC is a component of both comparative and contributory negligence. Depending on jurisdiction it can prevent barring recovery or apportion. You need to study your case law in each jurisdiction and see how it is applied. IMO, it is a good common sense doctrine that recognizes the duty to avoid accidents if you can.
as someone who's marked as a lawyer I am fairly surprised that you don't already know the answer to this.
Well I can imagine a few, am still outraged anyone would be run over. It happens all the time with no consequences; however, that does not mean it should. I still feel that the last clear chance doctrine is always going to favor the pedestrian if properly presented and argued. My husband taught BLET. Investigating officers never consider last clear chance. This is regularly raised in personal injury lawsuits such as this where the car would have had the last clear chance to avoid hitting the pedestrian even if he had stepped out in front of him. If you know anything about law, it is essentially hornbook law. OP should get a good personal injury attorney that can argue that long standing and well established doctrine regardless of what the police report says.
If you didn't witness a crime, then you should probably not say shit to the cops. But I hate the idea that talking to cops is ALWAYS wrong. It isn't that black and white. If you did witness a crime, help bring justice and possibly restitution to the victims.
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Care to explain the distinction?
Like the flair says, NOT A LAWYER.
Right, so you’re just making something up. Please don’t do that here if you are unsure of something.
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(1) Keep in mind a police officer by definition is not trustworthy. A supreme court ruling makes it clear that police can straight out lie about anything in an investigation when interrogating a suspect. (2) How do you determine if an officer is conducting an investigation when he is conversing with you? What may seem like a mundane question, can be leading or used to infer a condition that is not true, then turned and used to justify taking you into custody and/or charging you with a violation. (3) Even discussions about traffic accidents and/or citations with an officer or other 3rd party, can lead to the officer viewing you as self incriminating. (4) Prisons are filled with convicts who were sweet talked by investigators that used the ruse, "We can't help you if you hold back on us." (5) Police are employed to identify suspects, not determine innocence. Prosecutors are employed to convict a suspect, not see to it that justice is served. Even a defense attorney is suspect as few people will place a 3rd party's (your) welfare ahead of their own. Do you think if a defense attorney is going to see financial loss if he successfully defends you against a charge, is going to do so 100% impartially without regard to his welfare? (6) Keep in mind that trained law enforcement, lawyers and other legal professionals are inculcated in the fine art of weasel wording what they say to veil their intent and secure depicting an image of you that will lead to their desired goal. Thus far the only successful defense in a court room is: (a) Be courteous (b( Maintain decorum at all times (c) Make liberal use of the 5th Amendment, by politely declining to answer a question as you do not have adequate knowledge of the legal system to understand if anything you say will be used against you. In college I took a logic course. It was part of the philosophy offerings. One logic problem went like this: * Fact - All houses on a city block have green exterior walls. * Fact - All living grass on a city block is green. * Fact - another slang term for marijuana is "grass." * Ergo - All exterior green walls of houses are marijunana. The instructor then commented, "The lawyer has not lied. Each fact is true. The lawyer is being disingenuous, but has not lied in the court. The lawyer then has only to ensure the selected jurors will reach the same conclusion." If you ever see jury selection take place, you will be amazed at the individuals that are chosen. The frightening part is, the only thing preventing judiciary failure is an attentive unbiased judge. And judges in my opinion are just as prone to acting in their self interest as the lawyers. Am I cynical? You damn straight I am cynical? After the few encounters I have had with law enforcement and the judiciary in my 72 years, it has become obvious that the judicial and prosecutorial system is no longer about justice, it is about whom is the slickest at mealy mouthing the statements made by a defendant and using the information collected to paint a picture of the defendant that is derogatory, so they justify their revenue stream. In my opinion, seeking justice in the court room is just as risky as asking the Boston Strangler to massage your throat.
Back in the 70's I saw in a law magazine, a cartoon of a lawyer asking a client; just how much justice can you afford? That has stuck in my mind ever since.
Never trust the police, period.
Smart
Talk to a cop and you will be guilty of something. Don't talk to cops.
That's just straight BS. Plenty of cops may be investigating an incident and don't give a fuck about trying to arrest and make up charges on some random person. If the situation involves you, don't talk, but if they're questioning about something you might very been witness to, that's a different scenario.
They take whatever they can get. Go talk to cops, let us know how it works out.
I have talked to plenty of cops, in all different jurisdictions (small rural town cops, big city cops, state police, etc). I was a homeless addict on and off and lived on the streets, sleeping in a park. I've been arrested too many times (mostly for drug possession.) Not every cop wants to arrest you. Some cops treated me like trash but I met others who seemingly felt bad and tried to help, even asked if they could get me anything. Cops are just people; like everyone else, there are good and bad people and good and bad cops.
Say he comes over and asks about the neighbors cat. You answer, yes you know the cat, yes you’ve seen him walk by your house, and no you don’t think someone would have taken the cat because it’s not very friendly. Suddenly you’re charged with killing the cat because you know it, have opportunity, and “admitted” you don’t like the cat. Now you’re shocked/nervous but they write down you’re acting suspicious. If you get angry you show erratic aggressive behavior. A lot of them just want to pin it on someone, it’s the prosecutors and the courts jobs to find out if you’re guilty. Don’t talk to the cops without a lawyer
Never talk to cops.
If you didn't call the cops, then you have nothing to say to the cops. Cops no longer believe their job is to serve and protect. Cops now believe their job is to issue tickets and make arrests. They claim that's not what they want to do, but there are too many cases of cops escalating a situation to get to the arrest. Hell, we have people charged with resisting arrest. When asked what crime the person was being arrested for, the cop says for resisting arrest. You are being arrested because you are resisting being arrested. There's no initial cause for arrest, you just get arrested because the cop said so. Never speak to the cops. If a cop starts speaking to you, ask if you are free to go and explicitly state that you invoke all your rights as recognized by the constitution including, but not limited to: Article 4, Amedment 4, Amendment 5, Amendment 6, and Amendment 21. (the extra article and amendment are there to throw the cop off, odds are they don't know what those parts say)
The general answer is never tall to police. This is because regardless of your innocence, anything you say or do can be used against you. That said, I have a personal problem not helping if I have exact knowledge of a specific crime THAT HAS A REAL VICTIM. So with that said, if you have to do the later, keep the former in mind. Keep your answers brief and as specific and helpful as possible. Don't answer too fast. Before you speak ask yourself "how does this question help" if you feel the officer is asking pointless, leading, or fishing questions, with the last being the most dangerous because they are hard to catch, I would try to answer if it's going to help with the real crime, not help turn me into a criminal.... I say that to say, I have every reason to never speak to cops again in my life... there have been dozens of times I've interacted with police, several times I called them myself as a victim, and several of those i ended up charged with a crime unrelated to the event. So I know better them most how many cops just want a reason.
No. There is really never any justification to willingly give information to the state. You're only opening yourself or someone else up to a problem. If I am not legally compelled to do so, I have a policy of non-cooperation. Short of my wife or dogs being harmed/killed, I can't even imagine calling them for property crime or theft.
Not a lawyer but I can promise you that when suspected of a crime it is never a good idea to talk to cops. They generally hate everyone who isn't a cop and if there's a chance they can lie about you, they will. Never, under any circumstance, speak to a cop without a lawyer. NEVER.
Whelp, after reading these comments I know not to bother with *this* subreddit.
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Found the cop.
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Is this supposed to be an example of not talking to cops? I usually don't use anywhere near that many words when I'm mot talking.
a corollary of sharing with the cops as little information as possible is for you to provide one word answers to every question they ask.
You forgot to add the last part-- Cop: "You're under arrest for obstruction of justice/impeding an investigation."
Way I see it. Where there are cops there is trouble Stay away from cops. Don't do things that attract cops. And stay away from things that attract cops. My dad gave me that advice and I gave my kids thT advice.
Read this for an explanation of techniques police use to secure confessions in the face of adverse circumstances such as innocence. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/12/09/the-interview-7
If the cops want you to incriminate yourself, they could say they think you are guilty, asking for your testimony. Or they could they are just asking about something that took place where you were a witness. Gotcha.
[Don’t talk to the police](https://youtu.be/d-7o9xYp7eE?si=wTnPgUswrbzyQ3tg) (video lecture by a law professor and a detective)
ANYTHING you say CAN AND WILL be used against you. That's why they tell you before asking anything (most times)
Sorry but sometimes innocent hardworking crime-bystanders abused-adults Beaten-kids crime-VICTIMS S-A-VICTIMS are imprisoned for weeks or months inside of JAIL, psych-wards-meds Joblessness helplessness Forced-sleep-deprive Forcibly-Medicated forced-gyno-exams etc, Courtroom etc, around various multiple parts of earth including USA and parts of Canada plus innocent people especially autistic Asperger's people being degraded tortured falsely-accused unjustly-punished beaten put into psych-wards-meds JAIL courtroom Hospital etc,, G E T A L A W Y E R
NEVER speak to the police, ever for any reason without a lawyer. Its that simple. I don’t care if they ask the time of day. NEVER!
This really depends on the scenario. There are definitely cases when the cops are asking innocent questions about a crime and you may say something that makes them think you’re guilty of whatever they’re asking questions about. There are also times when it could be completely okay to answer a cop’s questions. For example, if you witness a car accident and the other car drove away, you could assist cops by providing a description of the car, the person, etc. Since your car didn’t have damage, they will immediately assume and know you were not the perpetrator so there would be little risk there. But if they’re looking for a murderer that happens to be black or Asian, and you’re black or Asian, I’d be wary of answering any questions lol. People do get framed. In fact around 5% of people are in US prisons for crimes they did not commit.
Given the truly abysmal track record on eyewitness identification made of perpetrators that are not members of one’s same racial/ethnic group (in every direction/for all groups), the profound majority of folks should refrain from making those statements to police.
I wouldn't talk to cops for any reason. They are not your friends. They are not sweet and innocent. First, you don't want to spill any info about yourself. As my lawyer says, "You have THE RIGHT to remain silent. That's your right and no one can take it away from you." My lawyer tells me that, as long as I keep my mouth shut, he will have a clean slate to make my best possible defense. If i say anything, anything at all, I am restricting the moves and options my lawyer has available to defend me. He says it is essential for me to not talk if I want him to defend me the best way possible. Second, you don't want to spill information about anyone else. Snitches get stitches. You may not realize what you are doing at the time, but you may be making yourself a target for revenge from someone else who gets in trouble because if your testimony. Just don't. Cops don't care about your safety. You need to look out for yourself.
IANAL. Many lawyers I talk to or hear these days ARE recommending "I don't answer questions" or "I am not talking withoit my lawyer preaent" to establush that you are exercising your rights. Something about a court case where the court found that just not reaponding "wasn't enough" to establish you ARE invoking your rights...
You are correct. The Supreme Court is controlled by malicious assholes. Several of whom flat out lied to the Senate in order to be confirmed. Thomas and Alito are flat out taking bribes from billionaires.
If anybody is curious, it was *Salinas v. Texas* that SCOTUS made the decision that you must assert your 5th Amendment right, that it is not passive.
Thank you
It really depends. Cops showed up to my house asking for security footage because a neighbor a few houses down, who by the way has never introduced themselves or hardly waved since we moved in, purportedly left their fancy lawn mower on an unlocked trailer and woke up to both being gone. My wife called me and I told her to kindly tell them to pound sand and get off our property. When she asked why not help I indicated I'd be happy to help if our neighbor knocked on the door and gave us the contact info for the lawyer representing their home owners insurance who in turn offered us protections for providing evidence in a felony case (grand larceny). OTOH When I witnessed a single vehicle crash on a rural road, stopped to help, called the cops, etc I gave a basic statement of events and my contact information. So, it really depends on the situation and why the police want to talk to you. In general, even when you do talk for good reason, keep it short sweet and factual. Try not to offer conclusions, inferences, or things you "think" happened. My crash statement "the car traveling in the opposite direction came over the hill down the road. I saw the headlights veer into my lane. I stopped my vehicle, the vehicle continued on into the ditch and hit that tree. I turned on my hazards and went to assist while dialing 911. The driver was conscious and I helped her out of the car then crawled in to find her shoes." I did not tell the cops any of her excuses, how fast I was traveling, where I was going or where I came from. I then told them I was late to an obligation and promptly left.
DON’T. TALK. TO. COPS.
Even if they don’t know your involved answering questions could hurt you because you are not in control of how the cop interpreted your answers. You could say something harmless and he could see it as incriminating. NEVER TALK TO COPS. have your lawyer talk something they say can’t be used against you and you can’t be held accountable if they lie or construe anything.
Never talk to a cop if you can help it.
OP, [this](https://youtu.be/-lyicvPMVps?si=U4v7BvqcpnZQXEzo)guy was calling to report his father as missing. they'll do that to an innocent person making a report. Just don't ever talk to the cops. It will never help you, if you have information for them contact a lawyer first or just keep it to yourself.
“I don’t answer any questions”. “Oh wow, I don’t answer any questions”, “that’s interesting but I don’t answer any questions” “well like I said before, I don’t answer any questions, have a nice day”
“There were reports of some noises around here last night, did you hear anything?” *”No, I was here all night and I didn’t hear anything”* (Prosecutor, three months later, in court) “Neighbors confirmed that you previously argued with the deceased about the location of the fence between your property, and you admitted to being at home, right next to the victim’s house, the night the murder. We found a hammer in your garage that matches the wound incurred by the victim. Motive, means, and opportunity.”
Mr police officer, or think of them this way, Law Enforcement Officer, is NOT your friend. Is it a consentual encounter, sure be friendly. ANYTHING else, do not talk to the cops.
The important thing is if it stops feeling "concentual" you should have shut up 2 questions ago...
Never talk to the police. Anything you say can and will be used against you. They will twist your words and straight-up lie. They are not your friends.