Often times I hear, “Well, if I hire a lawyer, won’t it look like I’m guilty?” The clear and simple answer is “No“. It’s just plain smart. Who is telling you that you don’t need a lawyer? It’s law enforcement. Who is telling you that, “I just want to hear your side of the story”? It’s the cops. Who then turns that around against you and tells you, “You’re lying”! Again, it’s those trying to put you in jail.
Who is the one who, even though you are using your best memory, tells you that you’re lying because others have said something different? Guess who, it’s the same people who are trying to put you in jail. Who is allowed by law to lie to you when they question you? It’s the police, that’s who.
Did you know that the police can lie to you when questioning you? They can tell you that they have your DNA when they don’t or that you left fingerprints when you weren’t even there? If some court later finds that what the police did was designed to get the truth from YOU then there isn’t anything at all wrong with them lying through their teeth to YOU.
How do you know what the police say you said, you ACTUALLY said? They don’t always record the statements. There isn’t any law that says they have to audio or video record your statements. So if they say you said something and you say “no, I didn’t or it was taken out of context”, you are out of luck. Who do you think the court or jury is going to believe? It most likely won’t be you.
So next time you’re asked to cooperate you better think twice about doing that without the advice of a good lawyer. If you think you are going to be questioned by the police, call an attorney first. If you are already being questioned, tell the police you won’t answer any questions until your lawyer is present. You have a constitutional right to have your lawyer present. Take full advantage of that. It is the only way you can protect yourself.