Often people will contact us, thinking they’re under investigation, or that they’ve been contacted by law enforcement, and as us for advice.
Well, rule number one is: keep your mouth shut.
Second: talk to an attorney – talk to an attorney early and follow their advice.
Attorney-Client Relationships Protect You
Some attorneys will enter into attorney-client relationships with persons under investigation on a pre-filing basis before charges are filed. And that can be very helpful because it can create a wall between the suspect and law enforcement, preventing them from continuing to try to contact the suspect once they’ve invoked their right to counsel. And the attorney can also feed information to law enforcement, if appropriate, if helpful, that could be exculpatory or suggests that the person is not guilty.
It’s generally much safer for the attorney to feed information to law enforcement rather than the person trying to do that directly. There a lot of hazards in trying to do that yourself. People often want to get out there and proclaim their innocence – that’s natural.
It’s also not a good idea. You want to again, keep your mouth shut and exercise your right to remain silent, your right against self-incrimination. That does not mean you’re guilty whenever you assert that right. That right is not only there to prevent people who are guilty from incriminating themselves, but to protect the innocent from inadvertently incriminating themself. That does happen.
It is not a level playing field if you walk into an interrogation room or an office with a seasoned investigator or detective. They are trying connect the dots, and they may be asking questions that you think are harmless, but may put them one step closer to being able to bring charges against you.
Never Speak to Law Enforcement Without an Attorney
There are two things you can assume when dealing with law enforcement:
- Regardless of how friendly they are, they are trying to charge you and convict you of a crime.
- They know more than you think they know.
You are not smarter than them. That is often a mistake people make. And so you do not want to try to go alone into that situation. The first thing you need to do if you find yourself arrested, under investigation, 0r called in for questioning is to contact an attorney.
People will often fail to do this. Instead, they’ll go to their pastor or their minister or priest first. We’ve seen this blow up in people’s faces. Without going into detail, that can be a problem. You go to your pastor for spiritual advice, not legal counsel.
Consultation with a Bartlesville Defense Attorney
As with any important legal situation, keep your mouth shut when it comes to law enforcement and contact an attorney as soon as possible.
If you would like a confidential strategy consultation with a Bartlesville Oklahoma criminal defense lawyer, call today the Wirth Law Office – Bartlesville today at (918) 213-0950, email us at firm@bartlesvilleattorney.com, or submit the question form at the top right of this page. One of our Bartlesville criminal defense attorneys will reach out to you promptly.
