Personal Injury Lawyer

It may come as a surprise if you watch legal or court television shows, but you don’t have to have your Miranda rights read to you before you are arrested. The only reason the police will want to immediately read your rights is if they hope you say something that they need to use as evidence during a trial. It doesn’t matter where you are when they arrest you, the moment you are arrested, even if the Miranda warning isn’t recited for you, you have the full protection of the law. These are some of your rights.

1. Silence

You don’t have to say anything to the police other than when asked about your personal identifying information. You have the right to say you refuse to say anything else. If you choose to, you can repeat your refusal until the police stop asking you questions. Some popular silence techniques include:

• I am not going to say anything to you.
• I want an attorney.
• I invoke my Miranda rights.
• I have the right against self-incrimination.

Don’t forget to ask for an attorney at some point during the police questioning. If the police continue to question you, remain silent. Once you have said you will not talk to them and that you want counsel, there is nothing more to say.

2. Chatter

If you do say anything to the police, including a confession to a crime, the information will be used against you if your case goes to trial. If the officers berate you verbally, just ignore them as best you can. Remember, the police can lie to forward their case – and that means they will lie to you.

3. Lawyer

As soon as you can get an attorney, hire one. Not only will he or she protect you from efforts by the police to coerce a confession, but your lawyer can also help you get out of jail on bail. No matter what the charges are against you, your criminal lawyer, like a criminal defense attorney from the Morales Law Firm, can stay with your case all the way to the conclusion of your trial.

No matter where the police arrest you, even in the middle of a field, you have the immediate protection of the Miranda warning. Don’t let the officers convince you they know something and want you to verify it. Rather than play the game, just use one of the statements above to let them know you are not talking – and that you want a lawyer.