There are basically two ways in which an arrest is made. The first occurs when the police are called to the scene of a crime, or witness a crime in progress, and make an arrest right then and there. The second happens after a lengthy investigation by law enforcement. When the police are investigating a crime and they have a suspect the suspect often is aware they are under suspicion. If you ever find yourself in that situation you may wonder “ Do I need a lawyer before I am charged? ” The simple answer is “absolutely!” In fact, hiring an attorney before charges are filed can even prevent the charges from being filed.
Without a doubt one of the most common mistakes people make in a criminal investigation is talking to the police without an attorney present. All too often they essentially talk themselves into getting arrested. There are only two reasons why the police want to talk to you about a crime. The first is because they consider you a suspect and the second it because they consider you a witness or a source of information. Frequently, however, the police initially consider a person to be a witness or source of information but reclassify the person to a suspect after actually speaking to him or her. Having an attorney on your side can prevent this from occurring.
Understandably, people often think that the way to prevent becoming a suspect is by being overly cooperative with the police. Moreover, they feel that hiring an attorney before being charged with a crime is viewed as a sign of guilt. What you need to remember about being cooperative with the police is that you are not under any obligation to do so. Will the police view your reluctance to cooperate as a sign of guilt? Possibly. Will they view hiring an attorney as a sign of guilt? Possibly as well; however, as previously mentioned, if they want to speak to you there is a good chance that they already consider you a suspect. Therefore, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by hiring an attorney.
A criminal investigation can be a minefield for a potential suspect. Keep in mind that a detective spends all day long, every day, thinking like a cop. He or she views everyone as a potential suspect. If you are guilty, the odds of being able to hide that are slim at best just as the odds of talking your way out of trouble with a seasoned officer are slim. If you have an attorney to consult, or to bring with you to a meeting, you have the ability to check with the attorney before you say anything or before you answer any questions which may actually prevent you from talking your way into getting arrested and charged!
If you have been charged with a criminal offense in Nebraska contact Petersen Criminal Defense Law 24 hours a day at 402-509-8070 to discuss your case with an experienced criminal defense attorney.
Attorney Petersen was invited to join the National Advocacy for DUI Defense (NAFDD) organization in 2013. NAFDD vets thousands of lawyers and only chooses those who have achieved stellar results in DUI defense cases. Attorney Petersen was named one of the Top 50 defense attorneys in Nebraska out of more than 5,000.
Loading...