Your Right To Remain Silent
Derek Byrd, Byrd Law Firm
One of the most important rights you have as a citizen is the right to remain silent. There may come a time in your life when you’re confronted by law enforcement who wants to ask you questions about a crime that they think you may have committed or that you were a witness to.
Although your gut instincts are to cooperate and answer all the questions that law enforcement asks you, it’s actually a bad idea to do so. Your better approach is to think, remain calm and politely tell the officer, “You know what, sir or ma’am, I’m not going to answer any questions until I have an attorney present.”
Believe it or not, law enforcement officers can manipulate what you say. They can take things out of context. They can put words in your mouth. More often than not, whatever you say is going to harm you. You have a right not to do that, and I recommend that you don’t do that.
Mr. Derek Byrd specializes in Criminal Law and is Board Certified by the Florida Bar as a Criminal Trial Attorney.