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10 Responses to "Don’t Talk to the Police"

1. | Reply Clark Cox
   Posted 29 Nov 2009 at 6:30pm #
   

   This really should be required viewing for any high school civics or social studies classes.

2. | Reply Erik J. Barzeski
   Posted 30 Nov 2009 at 3:14pm #
   

   Oh, I do wonder what the guy would say about talking to the police if you're a victim of a crime. The only examples he gave were ones in which you were either guilty of a crime or you were uninvolved.

3. | Reply Adam Jacob Muller
   Posted 30 Nov 2009 at 6:40pm #
   

   He would tell you the same thing, your never merely a victim.

   Many people have been prosecuted for crimes that they committed as accessory to a crime they were the victim of.
   Many people you might consider the victim in a situation are prosecuted the classic teenager who sends naked pics to her boyfriend and ends up in jail and a registered sex offender for the rest of her life is a classic example.

   Beyond absolutely basic pleasantries at traffic stops and similar I do not speak to police whatsoever.

4. | Reply Erik J. Barzeski
   Posted 30 Nov 2009 at 7:25pm #
   

   [quote comment="56238"]He would tell you the same thing, your never merely a victim.[/quote]

   I'm still curious about, say, a traffic accident in which the evidence doesn't support an obvious truthful conclusion. Or a case when someone comes to your home and steals things. What then? You have to give a report to police in those cases. Or you do if you don't want to spend $20,000 or whatever to replace your car or your stolen TV and computers.

5. | Reply Adam Jacob Muller
   Posted 30 Nov 2009 at 7:37pm #
   

   You are required to give a statement to the police for insurance, however, it doesn't have to be at the scene of the accident.

   So, i'm serious about this, beyond providing identifcation I wouldn't talk to the officer, tell him your going to speak with your lawyer and will be in touch, and then go get one and have a sit-down, then only once you've fleshed things out you can both go to the station and give a statement.

   This is probably good advice even if you can't/won't get a lawyer, go home, sleep on it. Your nerves are going to be INCREDIBLY rattled right after an accident you may say things you didn't intend to say!

   In the case of an accident you have to realize, you could easily end up being found at-fault, and aside from the HUGE hassle that is in terms of depositions if the other driver or their insurance decide to sue, you will easily see your premiums increase 20-30% if not MORE for a single accident, I know things are better for you in PA, but here in Jersey, a 30% increase in my insurance would be almost 2000$/year extra (fuzzy maths and i'm 25/only driving 3 years).

   I guess if someone breaks into your home, things are simpler, but then again, imagine if that burgler gets picked up, when the cops arrest him they find some drugs on him (inside your stuff). He claims to know nothing about it and the "drugs must have been in that jacket when I stole it!"

   Can you prove they weren't?

   Having a lawyer is less about the law and more about mitigating your risk to yourself.

   Then again, I am not a lawyer so you should ignore everything I just said and go get one! 🙂

6. | Reply Brian Christensen
   Posted 03 Dec 2009 at 12:57pm #
   

   Adam, paranoia much? The drugs in a stolen jacket is a ridiculously contrived example. The original owner would not be collared based on what some crackhead claims was already "in that jacket" when he stole it. Many criminals claim that "someone else" put the contraband in their clothing. None are believed.

7. | Reply Adam Jacob Muller
   Posted 03 Dec 2009 at 1:38pm #
   

   It's not paranoia if they are actually out to get you.

8. | Reply Brian Christensen
   Posted 03 Dec 2009 at 2:33pm #
   

   Sure, it isn't paranoid to think that the police responding to take your burglary report are "out to get you." Not at all. 🙄

9. | Reply Maintaining Your Rights | NSLog();
   Posted 13 Oct 2010 at 9:56am #
   

   [...] some people can get a bit too carried away with things. Awhile ago I also made this post called Don't Talk to the Police and can think of several instances where common sense simply has to prevail and taking the "don't [...]

10. | Reply The NSA and Storing Your Emails | NSLog();
    Posted 20 Dec 2013 at 2:51pm #
    

    […] all my emails, I don't care. I'm not doing anything wrong and I'm boring." I'm more on the side of don't talk to the police (though not to AJM's level in the comments). I'm more on the side of NOT having my privacy and […]