Should I talk to the police and give my side of the story?

The Simple Answer Is No

Not giving the police an explanation and speaking up
on your behalf is counter-intuitive. We all grow up hearing that you need to hear both
sides of the story before drawing a conclusion of who is telling the truth. That is not how
police operate.

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Understanding the value of remaining silent and safeguarding your personal
details could be the key to a better outcome in your case.  Pleading the Fifth” refers to
the right everyone has to invoke their Fifth Amendment to stay silent. Staying silent
helps as it acts as protection to prevent self-incrimination even when you are completely
innocent.

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A common mistake when being met by police is to over-explain yourself and
provide far too many details that may end up not working in your favor. Police quickly
decide on who to believe (usually the first person they speak to) and then decide
everyone else is a suspect and lying. They are looking for any mistakes in your version
of events to say that you must be lying and are therefore guilty of something.

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If you are contacted by police in the heat of a moment, remember to not answer
any questions and tell them directly you want an attorney before speaking any further. If
you are contacted by police in the course of an investigation reach out to me and I can
speak to you about next steps. Often detectives will invite you to have a conversation,
either in person or over the phone, “just to get your side of things.” Don’t believe them.
At this point they probably believe you are a suspect who has done something wrong
and they want to fish for any information and any inconsistency to build their case.

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You want an experienced lawyer at your side to ensure that there are no
missteps in the early crucial stage of a case and that your rights are protected from the
start. It can be intimidating, or even feel like you are hiding something, to tell an officer
you do not want to speak to them. I can be your advocate from the start and let law
enforcement know that you will not be speaking with them, while still sharing valuable
information that could help avoid charges.