Can Police Lie During an Investigation

Can Police Lie During an Investigation

The Florida criminal justice system is responsible for identifying criminals and arresting them, prosecuting them through the Florida court system, and establishing the criminal penalties upon sentencing and conviction. Detectives and police officers are primarily responsible for identifying criminals and arresting them.

To arrest individuals and investigate the crimes for which they were charged, police officers and detectives must investigate the circumstances of the crime, collect evidence, examine crime scenes, and interview witnesses, suspects, and arrestees. When investigating crimes, police offers and detectives can—and frequently do—use deceptive practices to obtain confessions and convictions.

If you are charged with a crime in Florida, do not speak with police or other investigators unless and until you have a lawyer present during the questioning. The knowledgeable criminal defense lawyers at Khonsari Law Group may represent you throughout your criminal case and can safeguard all of your legal rights.

Mirada Warnings

Before arresting someone, police officers must read suspects their Miranda rights. Specifically, the officer must advise the arrestee:

• That they have the right to remain silent
• That anything they say may be used against them in a court of law
• That they have a right to the presence of counsel during any questioning or interrogation
• That if they cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for them

Although the police officer need not read these rights to the criminal suspect verbatim, the reading must cover the “four corners” (that is, the four main points) of Miranda. Moreover, the suspect can waive Miranda rights, assuming the waiver is knowing, intelligent, and voluntary.

Types of Deceptive Police Tactics

Assuming the suspect voluntarily waives the right to remain silent or to a lawyer, police detectives sometimes use a variety of deceptive tactics to elicit information from arrestees. The police officer, detective, or investigator may try to draw out a confession from the arrestee. In other cases, the investigator may try to obtain the information necessary to arrest someone else—or to obtain a confession from someone else. The most common deceptive tactics employed by police officers and investigators include:

• Feigning sympathy or understanding about the arrestee’s circumstances
• Attempting to minimize the seriousness of the offense with which the suspect is charged
• Attempting to minimize the suspect’s culpability for the offense
• Telling the suspect about eyewitness testimony, incriminating forensic evidence, or incriminating evidence from a co-defendant, when no such evidence actually exists

Call a St. Petersburg Criminal Defense Lawyer Today

If you were arrested or charged with a crime in Florida, assert your right to the presence of counsel during any police questioning or interrogation. The criminal defense lawyers at Khonsari Law Group understand the tactics that police officers oftentimes use to try to implicate arrestees. To schedule a free consultation and case evaluation with a St. Petersburg criminal defense lawyer at Khonsari Law Group, please call us at (727) 269-5300 or contact us online.