SHOULD I SPEAK TO POLICE?
Police may use anything you say at any time against you. A police officer's job, at its basic level, is to make arrests. Naturally, you need to be cautious when speaking to police.
If you have any reason to believe you may be suspected of a crime, under no circumstances should you speak to police. They may act like they are your friend, but this is just a ploy. Their goal is to get you to make incriminating statements. After all, this makes their job easier. Instead, you should ask them if you are free to leave. If they indicate that you are not, you should assert your right to remain silent and tell them that you want a lawyer. At this point, they are not allowed to continue asking you questions.
There is very little to be gained when speaking to police and a lot to be lost. You may think that talking to them may help clear your name and get them off your back, and in some very rare cases this may be true. However, in the vast majority of cases, talking will only hurt you. Talking to the police should only be done under a very specific set of circumstances and only after consulting with an attorney first.
There is one exception to this rule:
In any case where an officer asks you for your identification or your name, you must comply. Failure to could lead to a charge of obstruction.
