Being charged with a crime can be overwhelming. Accused individuals should understand their rights and know that they do not have to speak to authorities and should never speak to authorities without their attorney present.
Accused individuals do not have to talk to police
Accused individuals have the constitutional right to remain silent and do not have to speak to law enforcement officers or any other person or authorities. This is true even if they have been arrested or have been place din jail. Accused individuals cannot be punished for refusing to answer questions and can protect themselves by refusing to do so. They also should not consider answering any questions without their attorney present with them.
Accused individuals should not talk to police without lawyer present
Accused individuals also have a constitutional right to talk with an attorney before answering any questions. If the accused individual requests a lawyer, the authorities must discontinue any questioning. If law enforcement continues to ask questions, the accused individual has the right to remain silent and should do so. Accused individuals have the right to only answer questions with a lawyer present even if they do not have a lawyer.
It is important to keep these vital criminal defense rights in mind because, unfortunately, law enforcement authorities will not always inform accused individuals of their rights guaranteed by the constitution and under the criminal justice system. For that reason, accused individuals should be familiar with their rights so they can be enforced and should know how they can participate in their criminal defense from the outset.