If you've been arrested or charged with a crime, the best thing you can do for yourself is to stop talking. The truth is, you don't have to say anything. You don't have to talk to the police, and you don't have to divulge a single detail about what happened. The only thing you should do is ask for a lawyer and refuse to say anything further. It will be difficult to stay quiet, especially if you believe that you're innocent. However, your freedom depends on it. Following are three conversations you should never have about your case.
Don't Talk to Law Enforcement
It says it right there in the Miranda rights, "Anything you say may be used against you in a court of law." If you confess, that can be used against you. Even if you tell an innocent lie during your interview, that can be used against you to undermine your credibility. For these reasons, you should never talk to police. It won't help you anyway. If the police have arrested you for a crime, they already have enough evidence to charge you. They're just looking for a confession to seal the deal.
Don't Talk on The Phone in Jail
It shouldn't have to be said, but this one gets people in trouble all the time. Do not, under any circumstances, talk to anyone about your case on the phone while you're in jail. All of the calls made on a jail phone are recorded. These recordings can be used as evidence in a trial against you. Even if you don't confess, you may give away enough details to help the prosecution win their case. For example, you may mention a name of someone who was with you when the crime was allegedly committed that the prosecution is completely unaware of.
Don't Talk to Anyone, Period
The only person who has the right to not tell the court anything that you've said is your attorney. Your mother, your romantic partner, and your cellmate are all potential witnesses. If you don't want your own words to be used against you, don't create more witnesses by talking about your case.
If you've been arrested for a crime, the only person you should talk to about your case and the specifics of what happened is your lawyer. Do not talk to anyone else, including the police, your friends, your family, and other jailhouse residents. For more information, reach out to local criminal defense attorneys.
