Know Your Rights When Questioned By Police Part 3

It’s only natural to feel nervous or intimidated by a police officer during questioning. It’s important to be polite and remain confident when speaking to an officer. However, it’s also important to remember that you may be under investigation and considered a suspect in a crime. With one misstep, a person can go from participating in a voluntary encounter to being arrested for a federal crime they did not commit. If you are in need of a federal criminal defense lawyer in Tampa, please contact us today.

In this three-part article, we first discussed legal rights pertaining to police questioning. In the second section, we discussed what requirements the police need to detain you. In this final section, we will discuss some tactics the police use during questioning.

The “Good Cop”

In some cases, the police officer may want to endorse that they are on the “same side” as you and just want to confirm your innocence by having you consent to a search. Maybe the officer offers you some vague leniency if you admit any wrongdoing. These are misleading tactics the police use to try and take authority over a situation in which they are powerless. Remember that if you give consent to the officer, they will have free reign over your private property.

The “Bad Cop”

Sometimes police officers will try to get a confession from you by providing some vague assertions that they have mounting evidence against you. A common example of this is when a police officer claims they have some faceless witness, like “one of the neighbors”, that observed you commit the criminal act. This simply is not true considering the questioned person would be placed under arrest with any concrete evidence that implicated them in a criminal manner.

Not Helping

A frustrated officer may suggest that a person’s silence or refusal to consent to a search is “not a good look” or further implicating them in the crime by refusing to help with the situation. You’re not raising red flags by refusing to consent to a search, you are exercising your rights. It’s important to communicate this to the police officer.

For a free consultation with an experienced federal defense attorney in Tampa, please contact The Rickman Law Firm at (813) 712-8736 or submit our contact request form.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general educational information only. This information does not constitute legal advice, is not intended to constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as legal advice for your specific factual pattern or situation.

Case Results

Pasco County Possession with Intent to Sell Drugs-Dropped

After entering the client’s residence in relation to a wanted person, the client was found to be in possession of over 60grams of Marijuana. The officers charged the Defendant with possession of Marijuana with intent
Show More

DUI Reduced to Reckless Driving

The defendant was charge with DUI after being stopped for driving erratically. After completing the roadside exercises the defendant was arrested for DUI. He refused to take a breath test. After months of negotiations the
Show More

Aggravated Assault with Deadly Weapon Dismissed

The Defendant was charged with Aggravated Assault with a deadly weapon after his estranged wife claimed that he tried to ram her vehicle with his. After providing sufficient evidence to the State contradicting the wife’s
Show More