Why should I never talk to the police or law enforcement agencies about a crime?

Regardless of whether you think you are guilty or innocent of a crime, you should never talk to the police before you first talk with an attorney. Most of the time police officers do not audio or video tape your statement so anything you say to them will be interpreted by them. You might remember the movie, “My Cousin Vinny”. One of the young boys makes a statement to the police in an disbelieving manner, “I shot the clerk?”. Later on, this statement is used against him in court as a confession. Statements given to police can easily be taken out of context. Unless you have your attorney present, you have no protection when you give a statement.

Most people believe and the police lead them to believe they will receive a lesser penalty if they confess. Usually, the opposite is true. After you have an attorney and negotiate an agreement, you may receive a benefit from giving information to the police. But the benefit will only come when you have an written agreement that has been approved by your attorney. Do not be mislead by the promises of police officers.

Many people are also surprised that the police lie and are allowed to lie. Think about it; they lie every day when they pretend to be a drug buyer and instead are an undercover narcotics detective or they pretend to be a john and tell the prostitute that they are a customer. The sad truth is the American justice system allows police officers to lie and they will lie to attempt to build their case against you.