What You Should NEVER Do if Arrested
Following up an earlier post about what you should do if arrested, the below is a list of things that you should never, ever do if you’re arrested.
- Do not speak— with anyone.
- Do not say anything about the incident to the police or cellmates. The police will often put an informant in the cell with you or a cellmate may try to embellish what you say so that they can cut a deal with police.
- Do not act like a jerk or insult the police or medical staff. Treat law enforcement officers with respect, do not argue, raise your voice, or get belligerent. If you are at the police station under arrest, the district attorney will be the person that determines your future, not the police. Let the police do their job: be nice and be quiet.
- Do not run from the police for several reasons: first it will not look good in court; second, they will probably catch you; and lastly, once they catch you, the police may get injured tackling you and additional charges may be leveled against you—some of which are felonies.
- Under no circumstances give the police permission to search anything. They may still search, but make sure it is without your permission.
- If the police come to your home or apartment, do not let them in unless they have a search warrant. If they have an arrest warrant for you, go outside with the police; otherwise, do not go outside. It may be that they need an arrest warrant to arrest you in your home and, if you go outside, you may be arrested without a warrant. If the police bring you to your home to get clothes, etc., refuse. The police may use this technique to gain entry into your home.
- Do not admit to drinking or ingesting drugs. Do not admit that you’re coming from a bar or a party. Remember – do not speak.
- If you’re arrested for DUI, do not say, “I’m a local. How about you just take me home and we forget this happened?” You will look like an asshole. This regularly happens in Aspen or Vail DUIs.
(This post originally appeared at Kalamaya Law and is modified from a list by Peter LaSorsa at the American Bar Association.)