Criminal Lawyers on Why You Should Never Talk to Law Enforcement

Criminal lawyers know even the innocent can be accused and convicted of a crime, and have been, by simply making an honest mistake when telling their story to the police or detective. As a matter of fact, 25% of those convicted exonerated with DNA evidence plead guilty or said something incriminating, some even confessed. Even witnesses can err, as 72% of DNA exonerations are from faulty witness testimonies. Criminal lawyers always advise clients to never under any circumstances talk to anyone about the crime he or she is being investigated for. If your story conflicts in any way with the story of the witness, the jury will believe the accused is lying, not the witness.

Any misuse of a word or any different word used to describe the same circumstances can be used against you, such as when you voluntarily give a statement and then later are cross-examined by the prosecuting attorney in a trial. Even criminal lawyers use similar practices to kill the credibility of victims and witnesses that come in opposition to their client's testimony.

Even if you happen to come across a piece of evidence by chance, or because you overheard it somewhere, the police or detectives may wonder how and why you have it. If you are ever questioned or investigated for a crime, you should always plead the Fifth amendment and seek expert help from a criminal attorney who will protect you and your rights. Prosecutors will always want to convict someone, who is the most likely suspect; it's their job and they're good at it. The best criminal lawyers will tell you never to utter even a single word to law enforcement, except for pleading the Fifth and telling them that your attorney will be in touch with them. Top criminal attorneys will also tell you not to talk to anyone at all about what you know and the crime until you have first talked to a lawyer. Criminal lawyers know that even if you witnessed a crime, if you were there you could even be charged as an accomplice even if you didn't do anything, which happens more often in violent crimes, assault, rape and murder convictions.