Key Strategies for Navigating Police Interviews Safely
Did you recently get asked to come down to the police station for an interview without them actually arresting you or filing charges against you? I’m Tahlequah criminal attorney Aaron Grubb at Wirth Law Office. In this video, we’re going to talk about the do’s and don’ts of actually talking to the police.
So first off, very simply, you want to make sure that you are answering questions as specifically as possible. If it’s a yes or no question, make sure that you’re giving them a yes or no answer. The more that you pontificate or explain yourself, a lot of the time they are just going to pick up bits and pieces of that and use that against you.
Understanding Your Limitations
Since it’s voluntary, you’re voluntarily giving them this information, and doing this interview, you don’t have any protections. You’re giving them as much ammo as they need to actually build a case against you. So it’s important to say yes or no answers.
And then the second one is if you’ve already had an interview several times, make sure that, and they keep on asking you like repeated questions, you know, where were you? What happened? You want to make sure that you are letting them know that, hey, this has been already asked of me. I’ve already provided you with an explanation. I’m not going to repeat myself.
Protecting Your Statements
This is important for two things. First, if they’re asking you these questions again, it might be because you weren’t in the capacity to actually give them an answer that they can use in a case. So say you were inebriated, you were drunk, high, whatever, and you give them a statement, then a lot of the time there’s an argument at least that that statement can’t be admissible because you are inebriated or something like that.
Or there is something wrong with your first response to their questions and inquiry that they’re not able to use. And so they’re asking again and again to get that perfect testimony so that they can use that in their case. So if you say, hey, I’ve already answered this question, just see the previous report. That can make sure that you’re not giving them a better piece of testimony.
Avoiding Inconsistencies
Also, it’s important because you don’t want to mix up your stories. If you tell the same story several different times, you’re going to leave out one or two details. So it’s important to make sure that you have one story on the record, or at least for their reports, and you refer to that story, the original story that you told.
If you have any additional questions about what you should do regarding a police or a detective interview, please contact us. Again, my name is Aaron Grubb and I’m a Tahlequah criminal defense lawyer at Wirth Law Office.
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Don’t face your police interview unprepared. Reach out today to schedule a low-cost initial strategy session by calling (918) 458-2677. Protect your rights and ensure that you approach the situation with the knowledge and confidence you need.
