Most encounters with the police are either at a traffic stop, on the street, or at home when the police knock on your door asking for information.
What Are Some Mistakes That People Make When It Comes To Encountering Law Enforcement?
The biggest mistake people make is that, if they are doing something illegal, they tell the police about it. For example, if they are driving a car and the officer asks if they’ve recently consumed alcohol, they may admit that they’ve had something to drink. At that point, they are admitting to committing a crime and that’s going to be very detrimental to their case.
How Commonly Do People Give Statements To Law Enforcement Right Off The Bat?
It’s actually quite amazing, the number of people who give detrimental statements to the police. I’m not advocating to lie to the police, because that’s a separate crime, but you do have the right not to engage with them. Many people, when the police ask to search their car, will readily consent, knowing full well that they have drugs in the car. They think that if they say yes, the officer will think that they are being honest and will not search it. Quite the opposite is true. Police nearly always search once allowed to do so.
Why Do People Generally Give Statements To The Police? Is It Out Of Fear Or Obligation?
People give statements to the police under a lot of different circumstances. It’s often simply because of the officer standing there with a gun and a badge. It’s intimidating. Most people don’t recognize that they have the ability to say no and to stand up for themselves. They are afraid that if they lie, they are going to get into more trouble. They rarely take the path of just choosing to say nothing at all.
The officer can ask what you’ve been doing or what you have on you, but there is never an obligation to answer the officer. All of these encounters, in court, are deemed to be voluntary police-citizen encounters, in which the citizen has every right to walk away, with the exception of a traffic stop. You do have to stay at the scene until the traffic stop is completed. Other than that, if they are at your front door, you can tell them you do not wish to speak with them and close the door. If they are on the street and call you over to them, you are free to keep on walking.
I Spoke To Police Without An Attorney Before And After Arrest. Can They Use That Against Me?
Police can use any statements that you provide to them before arrest. After arrest, if the statements that you give are voluntary, they can use those as well. The only time that they can’t use your statements as evidence is if you are in custody. At that point, they must advise you of your rights. In most instances, the officer will gain the desired information from you before they put handcuffs on you, while they are not obligated to read you your rights.
What Kind Of Training Do Law Enforcement Get For Interrogating Potential Suspects?
When law enforcement officers go through the police academy and higher levels of training, they work on interrogation techniques to get people to give statements. Most people are made uncomfortable by the silence that remains until they feel the need to talk. Additionally, officers have the ability to lie to individuals about why they are there to talk to them. There are techniques to put people at ease so that they will give information to them. Also, officers like to run the interrogation, in terms of directing the scope of questioning, to get you to the subject they want to talk about.
For more information on Encounters With Law Enforcement In Georgia, an initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (678) 726-5400 today.
