If you’re under investigation for criminal wrongdoing, then you might be tempted to talk to the police to try to find ways to explain your way out of suspicion. But doing so could dig you into a hole that’s difficult to climb out of, meaning that talking to the police might just leave you facing a greater possibility of being criminally charged and convicted.
Top reasons why you should not talk to the police
Talking to the police is rarely in your best interests. Here are some of the top reasons why you should avoid talking to the police:
- The police can’t offer you a plea deal, regardless of what they say. Therefore, unless you have promises made in writing and signed off on by the prosecuting attorney, you shouldn’t trust any deals that the police offer you.
- The police can take your words out of context to use them against you. Even if you have a clear story, the police will try to manipulate your words to keep you talking until they can find something they can use against you or someone else.
- The police can lie to you to get you to talk. They might falsely indicate that they have evidence against you or that you were observed at the scene of the crime. Don’t fall for the fake information they give you.
- The police might threaten or intimidate you to scare you into talking. While being questioned, you might be put in physically intimidating positions, but the police might also threaten your loved ones with criminal charges to get you to give them the information they want.
Know how to protect your interests throughout the process
There are a lot of mistakes that can be made during a criminal investigation. Any one of them could land you in hot water. That’s why you need to carefully navigate the process while focusing on protecting your rights and your future.
If you want to learn more about how to do that, then we encourage you to read up on your constitutional rights and what you can do to shield yourself from aggressive investigators and prosecutors.