If you encounter a police officer and they want to ask you questions, you may feel nervous. You may find yourself concerned that saying the wrong thing could lead to an arrest. You don’t want to make some sort of mistake or accidentally incriminate yourself.
You’re right to feel this way. As the officer may tell you, anything that you say can be used against you if you’re arrested. That’s why it’s so important to remember that you have a right to remain silent, and you do not have to answer questions.
What should you do instead?
It really depends on the situation. For instance, say that it’s a traffic stop. You do need to provide the officer with important documentation, such as your driver’s license. So you still need to cooperate with them, but you don’t have to answer any questions about whether or not you’ve had anything to drink or how fast you think you were going.
In other situations, such as if they stop you on the street, you can often simply ask if you’re free to go. If the officer wants to detain you or arrest you, you then have a right to an attorney. You can simply and politely tell them that you’re not going to answer any questions without your lawyer present. But it may be that the officer has no viable reason to detain you, so they’ll have to tell you that you’re free to go, and you can end the encounter.
If you do end up getting arrested, you certainly may be worried about the potential ramifications and the effect it’s going to have on your future. It’s very important to understand all of your legal defense options at this time.
