I'm often asked by clients or friends, "Shouldn't I talk to
the police? I'm not guilty of anything." On the face of it, the
intuitive answer seems to be yes, but that is sadly mistaken.
No Greater Authority than Supreme Court Justice and Nuremberg Trial Prosecutor,
Robert Jackson stated “Any Lawyer worth his salt will tell the suspect
in no uncertain terms to make no statements to the police under any circumstances”
Now Justice Jackson didn't caveat his statement by saying to not have
guilty suspects make a statement. But all innocent and guilty alike.
Police generally don't care about finding guilty people; they are overworked,
underpaid and want finality to their cases, they don't look for innocent
people they look for guilty people, when you’re a hammer everything
you see is a nail, and the police are looking to nail suspects; guilty or not.
The police can and will trick you into saying that you are guilty. They
are allowed to lie and they are practiced liars. They don't need you
to admit you actually committed the crime, they can trick you into stating
some seemingly inconsequential statement that can later be used by the
District Attorney to secure a guilty verdict by a jury who thinks “The
prosecutor is a good guy, he wouldn't bring the case if he wasn't
convinced in the defendant's guilt.” Every statement that you
make is another card the District Attorney can play, even if all the District
Attorney is playing are deuces, if they play enough of them they can convince a jury.
The right thing is to say to the police is, “I don't want to
talk to you, I want to talk to a lawyer; I want to talk to Alex Berry.”
Alex Berry had helped many innocent clients in situations as various as
a DUI to 1st Degree Assault avoid convictions, give him a call for a free consultation
to see how he can help you.