If you or someone you know is a suspect of a criminal offense, and the police are investigating you, it is vital to have complete information about your rights. Experienced criminal lawyers from KH Law can help protect your rights and even prevent the charges from being filed against you or your loved ones.
Three situations how police may ask you questions:
- One of the common ways of police questioning you is volunteering a contact with you. You have a choice to either answer their questions or leave.
- Without arresting you, the police officers may detain you temporarily to ask you questions. It is crucial to know that the detention is temporary and the questions asked by the police officers must be limited to the suspicious activity and your identity.
- Another common way to interrogate you of suspicious activity is by taking you into custody. However, you must be aware of your Miranda rights before custody integrations to ensure the police officers do not violate your rights.
Miranda rights
Your Miranda rights include:
- You have the right to contact a lawyer and have them during your questioning sessions.
- You have the right to remain silent. Anything you speak will be used against you in court.
- In a situation where you cannot contact a lawyer, you will be appointed a lawyer to be present during the questioning if you ask for.
- You have the right to exercise your Miranda rights anytime.
Sometimes figuring out the type of questioning the police officer is conducting can be challenging. One of the best ways to understand the situation is to ask the police whether you are being detained. If the answer is no, you can politely refuse to talk and leave. However, if you are being detained, you can refuse to speak without the presence of your lawyer.
If you believe that you are not at fault and are still being interrogated, you should still refuse to talk without consulting an attorney. Often people think that just because they did not commit a crime, they can speak to the police officers and answer the questions. They fail to understand that little evidence or words you speak can be misinterpreted and result in your arrest. Although you have your rights secured, these rights can be exercised depending on various factors. Predicting things or assumptions can make the situation complex. Therefore, as soon as the police suspect you of a crime, it is essential to contact a criminal defense lawyer and know how you can proceed ahead.
