Don’t Talk to the Police

Over the course of my professional career, I’ve participated in every aspect of the criminal justice system.

I’ve arrested criminals.

I’ve prosecuted defendants.

I’ve defended the innocent and the guilty.

I’ve investigated the most heinous criminal acts you can imagine – including more than 100 homicides.

I’ve even been appointed by federal courts to provide defense investigation for Islamic terrorists who were captured and brought to the U.S. to stand trial.

And I’ve investigated political corruption at the highest levels of the United States government.

Heck, I was even falsely accused of assault by an individual I was investigating and was awakened to find the police – guns drawn – on my porch. (The charges were eventually dismissed)

So I’ve seen it all. I’ve seen the criminal justice system in action from every possible perspective.

And I’m always amazed that suspects – both the innocent and the guilty – willingly talk to the police.

Invariably, it gets the suspect – again, both innocent and guilty – in more trouble than they may already be in and it complicates their legal situation.

Admittedly, I understand why people talk to the police. The human instinct to try and explain why an accusation or suspicion is incorrect is powerful. It’s a natural reaction.

But it’s a reaction – an impulse – we all must resist when we find ourselves confronted by a police officer. Even when we are perfectly innocent.

Especially when we are perfectly innocent.

For a great reminder and refresher of why you should always exercise your 5^th Amendment rights and never talk to the police, I want to share an excellent blog post from one of my favorite new blogs – Liberty Blitzkrieg – operated by Michael Krieger.

The post is “Video of the Day – Understanding the 5^th Amendment and Why a Law Professor Says ‘Don’t Talk to Police.’”

The blog post is relatively short and contains a few excellent nuggets. I recommend reading the post.

But what I really want to draw your attention to is the video Krieger has included at the end of the post.

The video is titled “Don’t Talk to Police” and is an informative and entertaining presentation by Professor James Duane.

The video runs about 45 minutes and is worth every minute of your valuable time.

Honestly, one of the most frequent questions I get from friends who know of my work in the criminal justice system for more than 30 years is, “Do I have to answer questions from a cop when I get pulled over?”

By the way, the answer is unequivocally “NO!”

But it’s important to know why the answer is no and Professor Duane’s video is a good primer. And, he’s rather amusing in his presentation.

After you’ve watched the video, please let me know what you think by emailing me at [email protected]

OK. It’s time for me to go see what I can scrounge together from the Thanksgiving leftovers. Is there anything better than a turkey sandwich made from the remains of Thursday’s feast?

Speaking of Thanksgiving, I hope you had a wonderful day with family and friends. If you had to work, thank you for providing the services that the rest of us rely on to keep life normal. We appreciate your sacrifice.

Be safe, secure and free!

Rob Douglas – Former Washington DC Private Detective