Toombs Criminal Attorney

Jack Downie, a criminal defense lawyer in Toombs County, Georgia, wants you to know what to 

do if you find yourself the subject of a police investigation. The things you say and do in the early phases of a criminal investigation often impact how your case will play out at trial or in plea talks. 

Criminal defense attorneys in Lyons, Georgia will tell you that keeping silent during a police interrogation is essential to defending your rights. You should always get legal advice before interacting with authorities, regardless of whether you are guilty or not of the charges for which you are being investigated.

Police Interrogation

Both police and forensic psychologists are skilled at asking specific questions to elicit information that you might not be aware you are sharing with them. On certain occasions, your quiet speaks more than your words. Your silence may suggest to the police that you are guilty or that you have something to hide if you are actively conversing with them and then abruptly stop when they pose probing questions. Even though silence alone won’t normally convict you of a crime, it might serve as a strong hint to the police and jury that you are guilty. Selective answering of queries is preferable to not responding at all.

It is not acceptable to lie.

Although you are free to remain silent in front of the police, lying to them is not. There will probably be more charges if you lie to the police. “According to an old saying, “The cover-up can be worse than the crime.” This is the case when you tell the police something you know to be untrue or misleading. Sometimes the cops will ask you seemingly innocent questions in the hopes that you will get uncomfortable or ashamed. They do this in an attempt to get you to tell the truth.