TIP #3: REMAIN SILENT
Other than providing your name, address, and telephone number — info needed to set bail — say nothing except, “I’d like to speak with a lawyer.” If you’re broke and can’t afford one, you’ll be granted free access to a public defender. “It’s not uncommon for people to talk themselves into charges when they enter a discussion with the police,” Chaplan says. Remember, the cops aren’t your pals. Even if they seem to be chatting you up in a friendly manner, they’re almost certainly looking for an angle with which to build a case against you.
TIP #4: JUST SAY NO … TO SEARCHES
If the police have a court-issued warrant to search your person, car, or home, there’s nothing you can do. If they don’t, they need your consent. Don’t give it to them. Anything they find can be used against you; if they search without permission, tell your lawyer. Whatever’s found will probably be ruled inadmissible in court. If you’re arrested at your home, don’t go back inside once you’re outside — even if you want to retrieve a document the cops asked for. See, if you go in, the po po then have the legal right to follow you in and tear the place apart looking evidence.
