3 ms·

No matter who you are, talking to the police is a bad idea. This is a constant piece of advice from every lawyer AND POLICE OFFICER I’ve ever known. I have seve

No matter who you are, talking to the police is a bad idea. This is a constant piece of advice from every lawyer AND POLICE OFFICER I’ve ever known. I have several cops in my family, and they all advise to never talk to the cops.

everybodyknows 3y ago
[flagged]
- CrampusDestrus 3y ago
  Way to purpusefully misunderstand a very simple proposition
  - tzs 3y ago
    There is a lot of evidence that it is not such a simple proposition. I've seen the submitted video discussed on a variety of internet forums over the years, and in most of them there were in fact a large number of people who take it as really meaning that you should never talk to police without your lawyer present. E.g., you are walking down the street, and see two people arguing, one of then shoots the other, and then runs away. A police officer who was nearby hears the shot, comes over, and asks you which way the shooter ran. A lot of people say they would not answer that question without first consulting a lawyer. Or you are in a building that collapses in an earthquake. You make it out but several people do not. Some police arrive, and manage to retrieve several people. They ask some of the people who were in the building if anyone of them know of anyone else who was in the building and is not accounted for. A lot of people say they would need to consult their lawyer before answering. But there are also a lot of people who say it doesn't apply in those situations. They think it means don't talk to them when you are being questioned as a potential suspect. Given the empirically observed divergence on people's understanding of what "don't ever talk to police without a lawyer" means it is perfectly reasonable to ask questions like everybodyknows asked.
    - mplanchard 3y ago
      Yeah I guess a lot of lawyers and criminal justice advocates are really trying to get the point across that you should never talk to the police in a situation in which you could incriminate yourself, but which situations that entails is much muddier and hard to convey. I think it’s probably better on balance for people to bias more towards “never talk to the police,” given how often people self-incriminate and how the vast majority of most people’s interactions with police are at traffic stops. But of course it’s a thing with nuance. If you’re being questioned for no obvious reason, being questioned at a traffic stop, or being questioned really about anything other than a crime you were the victim of, it’s probably best to stay silent. Of course here “questioned” is doing a lot of work. It in my mind doesn’t apply to the kind of “which way did he go,” or “are there people still inside” kinds of requests for quick information to help the officer do something entirely unrelated to you. But if a police officer is focusing on you and asking you questions, I’d say that’s when the advice kicks in for sure.
- mavhc 3y ago
  Maybe if you text them that doesn't count as talking
- c4mpute 3y ago
  You should call the police. But preferrably in a way that cannot be traced back to you. Unfortunately, there aren't any phone booths anymore...
- mplanchard 3y ago
  Sure, in case it’s necessary, the advice above applies mostly in regards to talking to or being questioned by the police in situations where they are acting in their official capacity and in which you are not directly seeking their immediate assistance. It also applies when talking to police who are not acting in their official capacity about any real or alleged crime that you may be involved in in any way, no matter how tangentially.
  - everybodyknows 3y ago
    And what about witnessing a crime committed against some complete stranger? Considering separately both the cases of a crime in progress, and one recently completed? Also considering whether the crime is accidental e.g. hit-and-run, or professional, financially-motivated actors. Recall that among the latter class are the white-collar criminals capable of retaliation against witnesses, and the reason we have white-collar whistleblower protection laws.
    - mplanchard 3y ago
      Yeah exactly. There’s enough nuance here that it would be really nice to have a lawyer around to help you. My take though is that there’s a difference between being questioned by the police and a police officer asking you for directions or asking “which way did he go” while chasing someone or something like that. If I were a witness to a crime against someone else and was giving a statement, I would absolutely insist on having a lawyer present. If I were a witness to an ongoing crime against someone else and could point the police in the right direction to stop it, I would of course do so.
- fknorangesite 3y ago
  Instead, please comment in good faith.

everybodyknows 3y ago

[flagged]

CrampusDestrus 3y ago
Way to purpusefully misunderstand a very simple proposition
- tzs 3y ago
  There is a lot of evidence that it is not such a simple proposition. I've seen the submitted video discussed on a variety of internet forums over the years, and in most of them there were in fact a large number of people who take it as really meaning that you should never talk to police without your lawyer present. E.g., you are walking down the street, and see two people arguing, one of then shoots the other, and then runs away. A police officer who was nearby hears the shot, comes over, and asks you which way the shooter ran. A lot of people say they would not answer that question without first consulting a lawyer. Or you are in a building that collapses in an earthquake. You make it out but several people do not. Some police arrive, and manage to retrieve several people. They ask some of the people who were in the building if anyone of them know of anyone else who was in the building and is not accounted for. A lot of people say they would need to consult their lawyer before answering. But there are also a lot of people who say it doesn't apply in those situations. They think it means don't talk to them when you are being questioned as a potential suspect. Given the empirically observed divergence on people's understanding of what "don't ever talk to police without a lawyer" means it is perfectly reasonable to ask questions like everybodyknows asked.
  - mplanchard 3y ago
    Yeah I guess a lot of lawyers and criminal justice advocates are really trying to get the point across that you should never talk to the police in a situation in which you could incriminate yourself, but which situations that entails is much muddier and hard to convey. I think it’s probably better on balance for people to bias more towards “never talk to the police,” given how often people self-incriminate and how the vast majority of most people’s interactions with police are at traffic stops. But of course it’s a thing with nuance. If you’re being questioned for no obvious reason, being questioned at a traffic stop, or being questioned really about anything other than a crime you were the victim of, it’s probably best to stay silent. Of course here “questioned” is doing a lot of work. It in my mind doesn’t apply to the kind of “which way did he go,” or “are there people still inside” kinds of requests for quick information to help the officer do something entirely unrelated to you. But if a police officer is focusing on you and asking you questions, I’d say that’s when the advice kicks in for sure.
mavhc 3y ago
Maybe if you text them that doesn't count as talking
c4mpute 3y ago
You should call the police. But preferrably in a way that cannot be traced back to you. Unfortunately, there aren't any phone booths anymore...
mplanchard 3y ago
Sure, in case it’s necessary, the advice above applies mostly in regards to talking to or being questioned by the police in situations where they are acting in their official capacity and in which you are not directly seeking their immediate assistance. It also applies when talking to police who are not acting in their official capacity about any real or alleged crime that you may be involved in in any way, no matter how tangentially.
- everybodyknows 3y ago
  And what about witnessing a crime committed against some complete stranger? Considering separately both the cases of a crime in progress, and one recently completed? Also considering whether the crime is accidental e.g. hit-and-run, or professional, financially-motivated actors. Recall that among the latter class are the white-collar criminals capable of retaliation against witnesses, and the reason we have white-collar whistleblower protection laws.
  - mplanchard 3y ago
    Yeah exactly. There’s enough nuance here that it would be really nice to have a lawyer around to help you. My take though is that there’s a difference between being questioned by the police and a police officer asking you for directions or asking “which way did he go” while chasing someone or something like that. If I were a witness to a crime against someone else and was giving a statement, I would absolutely insist on having a lawyer present. If I were a witness to an ongoing crime against someone else and could point the police in the right direction to stop it, I would of course do so.
fknorangesite 3y ago
Instead, please comment in good faith.