People who talk with Police Officers say to me “but I had nothing to hide”. Saying those words tells me the speaker has no idea what is going on in the real world. They must live in fantasy land.
Good people – those who pay their taxes and go to church each Sunday, are filling Colorado’s prisons and jails. The reason? They spoke without fear to police who just wanted to ask them a few questions. These good people assumed a Mayberry RFD, Andy Griffith Show world gone by. Police are not good people trying to find the truth and innocent people do go to jail.
It is not necessary for you to say, “ok, I did it”, to be convicted. Take the misdemeanor crime of Harassment, for example. Police come and talk to you. The cop asks if you met Sally at a Denver bar last night and tells you he (the cop) thought she was beautiful. He then asks you if you thought she was attractive. You say, “yes, she was cute”. He tells you she thought you were good looking too. Then he tells you lots of people kiss and carry on at bars after drinking and while dancing. He tells you many women like it. He says he thinks Sally is one of those women, and that she likes to be kissed. He tells you he would kiss her if given the chance. He even says, “hey, let’s face it, kissing is not against the law, people do it all the time.” Next, he casually asks you, “while dancing, did you get to kiss her?” You say, “yes”. Out of the blue, he turns serious and tells you to put your hands behind your back and arrests you. What you thought was a friendly conversation with another man, turns out to be your confession.
You don’t know what allegations alleged victims are making and you don’t know what elements a cop needs to get you to agree to for a conviction. He writes in his report all the negative things you say, and never mentions what he said to get you to admit to his offense elements. Although you thought, “but I have nothing to hide”, you are being prosecuted for harassment.
There are a few keys words a police officer needs you to say to fill in the gaps of what his alleged victim is saying occurred. Yet you don’t know what those words are. Why would anyone talk with the officer if this was his game: to get you to say those few words.
So, never talk with police – you can’t win. And yes, you do have something to hide: your words – any of them. Always exercise your right to remain silent. Then, call us at 303-731-0719. Together, we can protect your future.