Under Investigation?
The best time to get a criminal defense lawyer involved in your case is before you are charged with a crime. If you suspect you are under investigation or if the police want to talk to you, call your criminal defense attorney now.
All too often people think that they can handle encounters with law enforcement on their own, and then come to us after they have unwittingly given incriminating information to law enforcement. If you do not think that you should be a suspect and you know that you have nothing to hide, do not expect law enforcement to share your point of view.
Why you Should not Talk to the Police Before Consulting an Attorney
Law enforcement investigators will tell you that you should come in and talk to them because they are just trying to clear your name. They may tell you that they just need to speak to you because you may be a witness.
The truth is, if law enforcement is asking to speak to you, they are most likely not trying to clear your name. In most cases, they are looking for evidence that they can use to charge you. When you show up to speak to them without first retaining a criminal defense lawyer, you are subjecting yourself to an interrogation by a trained professional. If law enforcement wants to question you, one of two things is most likely true:
- They have probable cause to charge you with a crime, they intend to get additional evidence from you to shore up their case, and you may leave the interview in handcuffs even if you do not make incriminating statements, or
- They do not have probable cause to charge you with a crime, and they intend to get the evidence that they need from you during the course of the interrogation.
Police can lie to you during an investigation. They do not have to tell you what they have or what they know.
They know that you may not make an incriminating statement, so, instead, they will settle for inconsistent statements. If anything that you say differs in even small details from something you have said in the past, something that someone else has told the police, or something that they observed at a crime scene, they will take your statement as evidence of guilt and they will use it as their probable cause to charge you with a crime.
How Can We Help?
If you have already talked to law enforcement, stop now and call us.
There are some situations where it is in your best interest to talk to police, but, even in those rare situations, you should never talk to police without an attorney present.
In many cases, we will advise you not to speak with law enforcement because it cannot help in your current situation. In other cases, we can prepare you for what to expect, gather evidence, and speak to law enforcement on your behalf.
The best-case scenario is you do not get charged with a crime and you dodge a bullet. The worst-case scenario is you do get charged with a crime, but you did not hand evidence to the police in the process, your attorney has been involved in gathering evidence and communicating with law enforcement from the beginning, and you have much better odds of getting a dismissal or acquittal down the road.
Contact Johnny Gardner Now
If you believe that you are under investigation, or if law enforcement is attempting to interview you, call Johnny Gardner Law now to find out what your rights are and how we can help.
