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I had two police officers at my door a couple of years ago, turns out my neighbour had died and they wondered if I'd heard anything or not heard anything from h

I had two police officers at my door a couple of years ago, turns out my neighbour had died and they wondered if I'd heard anything or not heard anything from him. Apparently the correct advice is to refuse to say anything without a lawyer, which I'm certain would be the end of the matter. I wonder if it's lawyers (paid $500/hour or whatever) who suggest that advice.

themaninthedark 5y ago
I am pretty sure it is lawyers who are suggesting the advice but not sure if that makes it based out of greed. If you look at it from a lawyer's perspective: The majority of my clients who speak to the police(either before or after employing me) have a large amount of trouble. So therefore it is ill advised to speak to the police. What they are missing: All the people who spoke with police and had no problems. It is sample bias.
brigade 5y ago
The guys a lawyer yeah, but the advice isn’t to offer the cop a chance to talk with you with a lawyer; it’s to avoid talking to cops at all. Then if the cops try to force an interview anyway, that’s where the “without a lawyer” comes in; if they’re arresting you then they should have other PC and you’ll be needing a lawyer anyway. And the whole point is that even in your case, it’s not directly beneficial to you to answer even innocuous questions about your neighbor’s death; at best it doesn’t change any suspicions on you, but at worst there is a chance that your answers could make you a person of interest when you weren’t one before.
- iso1631 5y ago
  If you have a disfunctional police force that may be the case, but when I cold shoulder my local pc (who I've spoken to a couple of times at parish council meetings about speeding issues in the village), that's clearly going to be increasing suspicions on me. Your claim "not directly beneficial to you" is also odd. Not talking to the police and thus not finding out there's a murderer around? Maybe it's different in third world countries where the police don't care about the public and are just a law to themselves, that's certainly not the case where I live.

themaninthedark 5y ago

I am pretty sure it is lawyers who are suggesting the advice but not sure if that makes it based out of greed. If you look at it from a lawyer's perspective: The majority of my clients who speak to the police(either before or after employing me) have a large amount of trouble. So therefore it is ill advised to speak to the police. What they are missing: All the people who spoke with police and had no problems. It is sample bias.

brigade 5y ago

The guys a lawyer yeah, but the advice isn’t to offer the cop a chance to talk with you with a lawyer; it’s to avoid talking to cops at all. Then if the cops try to force an interview anyway, that’s where the “without a lawyer” comes in; if they’re arresting you then they should have other PC and you’ll be needing a lawyer anyway. And the whole point is that even in your case, it’s not directly beneficial to you to answer even innocuous questions about your neighbor’s death; at best it doesn’t change any suspicions on you, but at worst there is a chance that your answers could make you a person of interest when you weren’t one before.

iso1631 5y ago
If you have a disfunctional police force that may be the case, but when I cold shoulder my local pc (who I've spoken to a couple of times at parish council meetings about speeding issues in the village), that's clearly going to be increasing suspicions on me. Your claim "not directly beneficial to you" is also odd. Not talking to the police and thus not finding out there's a murderer around? Maybe it's different in third world countries where the police don't care about the public and are just a law to themselves, that's certainly not the case where I live.