accidental-criminals:

legally-bitchtastic:

queeranarchism:

yourbigsisnissi:

Defense attorney co sign.

You make your attorneys job harder when you speak to the cops.

They will say you’ll get a shorter sentence if you cooperate. You won’t.

They will encourage you to reveal things once you’re at a grand jury. Don’t.

They will bring in other ‘not cops’ like a social workers, therapist, expert. Keep your mouth shut.

Talking never ever works. This has been studied again and again. For one example, read up on The Green Scare: https://crimethinc.com/2008/02/22/green-scared

I quote

“The Green Scare cases show that cooperating with the government is never in a defendant’s best interest. On average, the non-cooperating defendants in Operation Backfire are actually serving less time in proportion to their original threatened sentences than the informants.”

Literally the only thing you have to say is some variation of “I am exercising my right to counsel” or “I will not speak to you without my attorney present” or whatever and all questioning must be shut down. If they keep questioning you, stay calm and continue to reiterate that you want your lawyer present and then tell the lawyer that this happened once they arrive.

I just want to add that you really need to say “I want an attorney” or “I am exercising my right to an attorney.”

If you are wishy washy about wanting an attorney AT ALL, or if you say “give me a lawyer, dog” courts will find that you were not invoking your right to counsel. So please, learn the phrase “I want an attorney” and say nothing else!