What to Avoid If You Are Facing a Criminal Charge

Interviewer: What are some common ways that people unintentionally incriminate themselves or hurt their pending case both before and after that they are arrested?

You Can Request an Attorney as Soon as You Are Stopped by the Police

AZ Criminal Law Team Lawyer: When police officers stop someone and ask them questions, people should know that they have the right to an attorney and can request one as soon as they’re stopped. That way they don’t incriminate themselves.

Samples You Provide to the Police Can be Independently Tested for Your Defense

People can request to have independent tests performed on blood or urine that they have submitted to the police. You don’t need to make statements when you are arrested, you can decide that you don’t want to tell the officers anything and you can always request an attorney.

Do People Have Common Reactions When They Are Charged with a Crime?

Interviewer: What have you learned personally about people’s behavior and like their reactions to be arrested and prosecuted for a crime? What kind of human insights have you gained into the whole process?

Many People Divulge Too Much Information to the Police during an Arrest

AZ Criminal Law Team Lawyer: I would say that the biggest commonality is in some sense, people just tell the officer everything and they don’t need to. They need to know that they can have rights and they can invoke the right to an attorney and not state everything that’s on their mind.

I think when people get pulled over by police officers it’s an intimidating experience, and most people just feel that when they don’t answer a police officer they’ll upset the officer, that they should be answering all their questions and you don’t need to.

You have every right to not answer questions and incriminate yourself.

Many People Commonly Experience Fear First, Followed by Anger

Interviewer: Are most of your clients very scared or are most of them angry about the charge?

AZ Criminal Law Team Lawyer: I think people are more scared when they’re pulled over. I think the anger comes afterwards. When they realize that when they read the police report and realize that officers generally put protocol language into their police reports on why they were arrested and put in there all of the statements that someone made. I think people get angry when they see that.

Is a Criminal Charge Public Information?

Interviewer: If I was to get arrested, how public would my situation be? Will my work, my friends and family find out about it?

Most Charges Are Not Publicized

AZ Criminal Law Team Lawyer: Not necessarily. When someone’s charged their arrest documents can become public record, as well as when their court dates are. This information is public record but as far as families really being tipped off as to their members having a criminal case I don’t really see how that would happen.

A DUI Received by a Professional Driver Is One of the Few Charges Employers Would Learn about

However, generally people would have to tell their family. As for work, it depends on where people work and what type of job they do, I’ve had clients who drive cars for living and have received DUIs so they need to tell their job. For other people it’s not an issue, they can keep working and not report the crime they have been charged with to their employer. It depends on the type of work someone does.

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