Required
telephone For A Free Consultation Call (301) 761-4842

Biggest Mistakes to Avoid When Charged With a Crime in Salisbury

There are several significant mistakes that a person should avoid when they are charged with a crime. These include the six biggest mistakes below. To learn about what you should do after being charged with a crime, contact a Salisbury criminal lawyer today.

#1: Agreeing to be Interviewed by the Police

The first mistake people make in criminal cases is agreeing to be interviewed by the police. People mistakenly believe that if they speak with a police officer, they can simply explain what occurred and avoid being charged. This is a huge mistake. Oftentimes when speaking with the police, people unwittingly admit to having committed a crime.

#2: Lying to the Police (Silence is Better)

A related mistake is agreeing to speak with a police and lying about the facts of what occurred. By the time a police officer asks to speak with a suspect, that police officer has potentially accumulated a great deal of information to use against the suspect.

The police officer may have spoken to other witnesses, gathered cellphone or computer records or obtain surveillance videos. The police officer uses that information to catch a suspect and lies that are told during the interrogation.

Anything that a person says can be used against them in court. The best choice is to either not speak to the police or agree to speak to them only when their attorney can be present.

#3: Allowing Police to Search Your Home Without a Warrant

Another common mistake that people make is allowing the police to search their home without a warrant. Many people do not realize that the police have to have a warrant to search someone’s house. People do not have to consent to a search of their car either.

It is never in a person’s best interest to allow the police to search and look for evidence that can be seized and used against that person in court.

#4: Discussing the Facts or Situations of Your Case in Emails

I have also seen people unwittingly provide evidence to be used against them by discussing the facts or their situation in emails or text messages.

People need to realize that anything written down will exist forever. It cannot ever be truly deleted. It doesn’t matter that a text or email is deleted from the person’s phone, it can often be retrieved by the police officers subpoenaing the records of the cellphone carrier.

#5: Talking About The Facts Of Your Case From a Phone in Jail

And the same is also true when people talk about their case on the telephone at the jail. All of these calls are recorded and they are maintained at the jail. And prosecutors will listen to those jail calls specifically for the purpose of gathering evidence to use at trial.

#6: Not Consulting an Attorney

In order to avoid making these mistakes, a person should consult with an attorney before making any decision. An attorney can advise the person about the consequences of speaking to the police or making any statements to anyone about a potential crime.

GET IN TOUCH WITH OUR
MARYLAND CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEYS