What Should I Do if the Police Want to Talk to Me?
You're watching TV and you see it: police are questioning someone. What should you do? As lawyers who have done this for decades, our advice is simple.
1. Be polite.
2. Be quiet.
3. Ask for a lawyer.
That's it. It doesn't matter if you are 100% innocent. Especially if you are innocent. Police are trained to ask questions. You are not trained to answer them. Here's a fact from the Bureau of Justice Statistics: The vast majority of people (over 80%) in custody waive their right to be quiet. They talk.
Why is this a mistake? They think they can "talk their way out of it." You cannot. Saying, "I want to talk to my lawyer" is not an admission of guilt. It is not being rude. It is the single smartest thing you can do to protect yourself and your family. It is your right. Use it.
