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question.jpgIn Criminal Law

An officer wants to ask me some questions pertaining to a police investigation. Should I talk?

Boy, that’s a tough one. The thing is, even if you weren’t involved in the crime, or did absolutely nothing wrong, it’s not always a good idea to answer a police officer’s questions right away. Why? Because most people get nervous when asked questions by an officer, and even if they have nothing to worry about, there is certainly a chance that the person may say something they didn’t want to say. Plus, a police officer may start asking you questions about one crime - that you had nothing to do with - and then steer the questioning to an unrelated matter that you’re not quite prepared to talk about. So here’s QuizLaw’s advice - if possible, delay police interviews. Tell the officer it’s not a good time - and unless they are going to arrest you, you don’t have to answer questions. In the meantime, talk with your lawyer, and if necessary, bring your lawyer along for police questioning. Whatever you do, however, don’t answer a police officer’s questions falsely - in that situation, you’re just looking for trouble, even if the crime has nothing to do with you (if, for instance, you’re trying to protect a friend or family member - lying in this situation can lead to a charge of “accessory after the fact.”).