What To Do
Do Not Incriminate Yourself
If you are contacted or arrested by the police, exercise your rights. While your inclination may be to cooperate with police in order to prove your innocence, this strategy can easily backfire. You may inadvertently implicate yourself or mistakenly admit guilt under pressure. Do not risk making your situation worse by talking to police. If you end up being questioned by a police officer about a potential crime, you should not talk. Tell the officer:
"Officer, Please Understand – I refuse to talk with you until I consult my attorney Joel Larimore. I want to call him now. I also refuse to consent to the search of these premises or any other premises in which I have an interest, or my car, or my body or my effects. I desire to exercise all my rights. I want to be left alone. If you ignore my exercise of these rights and attempt to procure a waiver, I want to confer with my lawyer prior to any conversations with you. I want to leave. If I am free to leave, please tell me immediately so I can go about my business. If you attempt to question me, I want my lawyer present."
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