Many people who get arrested by the police and taken down to the station will spend their time trying to convince the officers that they are innocent. They’ll answer questions if it appears that could help their position, or they’ll just tell their story in a way that they hope is convincing. They think they can talk their way out of being charged.
But does this actually work? If you get arrested, is it even worth your time to try to explain your position to the police?
You generally don’t want to talk to the police yourself
First of all, this rarely works. The police officers are likely not in a position where they’re making any sort of judgment call at this point. They’ve already decided to arrest you and they’re going to let everything else gets sorted out in court. An officer at the station is not just going to hear your story and then decide to let you go home.
Plus, talking to the police by yourself, without any sort of legal representation, could lead to some critical mistakes. You may accidentally say something that incriminates you. The police may lie to you or otherwise trick you to get you to confess to the crime. You always have to remember that the things you say can be used against you in court, so it’s usually better to say as little as possible. Even if you know that you didn’t do anything wrong, talking to the police is potentially hazardous for your position.
What should you do?
If you’ve been arrested, rather than trying to talk your way out of it, it’s important to take the time to carefully consider all of your legal options.