1) What should you do if you are arrested for or are a suspect in a crime and a police officer wants to interview you? If you are a suspect in a crime or have been arrested, you should never speak to the police or agree to an interview without an attorney present. A police officer is interested in interviewing you for one reason and one reason only; to obtain a confession from you which will then be used as the strongest piece of evidence against you in court. Often times police officers will downplay the significance of you having an attorney or they will tell you that it will be to your advantage to speak with them without an attorney. Do not believe these ploys. If a police officer does not want you to have an attorney present, he is either hiding something or he knows that having an attorney present may make it more difficult for him to build a case against you. Police officers will commonly spend hours building a repoire with a suspect in order to get that suspect to give away valuable rights such as the right to an attorney. Don't cave in and don't succomb to these pyschological ploys. 2) How do you tell the police officer you want an attorney present for an interview? Be respectful but be firm. Simply tell the police officer that you know he is just trying to do his job but that you are declining to answer any questions until you have an attorney present. The police officer may respond that it will take awhile to get an attorney for you and that this may be the last chance you have to speak. Do not buy into these types of ploys. If the police are truly interested in protecting your best interests, they will speak to you whenever and wherever. The only time these ploys are utilized is when the police simply want to obtain a confession. To protect yourself, you should establish a relationship with an attorney and carry that attorney's business card with you at all times. That way if the police try to use this ploy, you can simply pull out the card and ask them to contact your attorney. 3) How do I know if I need an attorney? Ask! Most attorney's provide a free initial consultation. If you do not know whether you are a suspect or the police are interested in interviewing you as a witness, you should consult with an attorney. Oftentimes the attorney can contact the investigating officer and obtain information from them that you might not be able to obtain.