People get arrested every day. Some arrests are for legitimate reasons and some are based upon faulty information or have no basis at all. Being arrested is terrible, but being arrested can be made worse because people tend to make critical mistakes upon being arrested. If you are arrested in Las Vegas, are criminal defense attorneys have prepared these tips to help keep you from completely ruining your life:
1. Don’t talk to anyone.
If you are arrested, the police will read you your Miranda rights. One of the rights is the right to remain silent. Take the right and use it. Do not talk to anyone! We cannot stress this enough. Do not be convinced that talking or trying to explain yourself will help your cause. Pleading with the officer that it is all a mistake or that you shouldn’t be in jail wont help you either. Usually, the arresting officer doesn’t care about your back-story. More often than not, talking to the police or other people about your arrest will only hurt you and make your situation worse. If you are arrested in Las Vegas, keep your mouth shut.
2. Follow the officer’s instructions upon arrest.
While you do have the right to remain silent, you don’t have the right to run or fight the police. If you run or fight, it will only make it worse and could end up costing you more money and leave the possibility of more jail time on the table. In addition, the State may be able to use your attempt to flee against you. Hitting a police officer is just bad (this should go without saying) and you will be charged with a felony. Follow the arresting officer’s instructions and try to remain calm. Don’t run. Don’t fight. Don’t talk.
3. Don’t allow the police to search your home, or other areas, if they don’t have a warrant.
Most people, upon being arrested, are asked by the police if the police can look in other arears of their home. If you allow this to happen, then the police have your consent. Any incriminating evidence the police find can be used against you because you consented to the search. If you are arrested in Las Vegas you need to say out loud “you [police] do not have the right to search me and you do not have my consent.”
4. Police officers lie.
Don’t believe what they tell you. The police lie and there is nothing illegal about it. They lie to get additional evidence. They lie to get you to make an admission about your illegal actions. They lie just because they can. In fact, most police officers are trained to lie. Don’t believe the lies. Don’t talk. Keep your mouth shut!
5. Don’t boast about your connections or how you will get out of this.
Quite frankly, the police don’t care. Everybody knows somebody and if the police have a reason to arrest you, they won’t care who you’re related to or who you know. It won’t help to boast about your community standing. Keep your mouth shut.
6. Do Not Let Police Into Your Home and Do Not Step Outside.
If the police have an arrest warrant for you, they will come into your home regardless of whether you let them in. If police ask to enter your home, your answer should be no. The fact that they are asking means they don’t have enough dirt on you or a warrant to enter your home. Once you let them in, anything they see can be used against you. Simply tell them, you are ok to talk to them through the door or to contact your attorney if they want to enter your home.
7. If you are arrested outside do not volunteer to go back inside your home.
If the police arrest you outside of your home, they may ask if you want to get a jacket or other information from inside your home. This is a trap! Once you have allowed the police into your home, whatever they see can be used against you. They can also tear up your home and search whatever is insight because you have consented to them entering your home.
8. Again, Don’t Talk To Anyone.
We have added this into our list twice, and repeated it throughout this article, because it is so important. The police don’t care about your excuses or your explanations. The arresting officer, the booking officer and other folks in holding don’t make decisions about your guilt or innocence. However, everything you say to these people can be used against you. Talk to a lawyer. Insist on a criminal defense lawyer every time you are asked a question. Don’t talk to anyone else.
It doesn’t matter how nervous or scared you are. These tips are very important and will help your case tremendously. If you or someone you know has been arrested in Las Vegas, call us today at (702)433-2889 or fill out our on-line form. We can help.
